Why does the Council feel the need to enforce bus lanes on Xmas Day?

[Geo-atkinson]

Think about this.

 

Someone employed by the council has come to work, possibly after Christmas and New year, and their job has been to search through CCTV footage purely for the puropse of checking for drivers in the bus lane on Christmas day. This is not "a fair cop" this is spying on the citizens of Sheffield with the sole puropse of extorting money. The bus lanes were not required and not in use so there is no justification for the fines. It's up there with the KGB.

[AlexAtkin]

The fact people are confused NOW about when bus lanes are enforced, despite it being completely clear, should be enough indication that its generally a bad idea to make exceptions.

 

If they stop enforcing on Xmas day you can guarantee people will start moaning that its enforced on some other day such as Boxing Day. Where do the exceptions end? How much time and money do you want the council to waste debating this pointless argument? Its just far more practical and easier to enforce if they just stick to the posted rules, no exceptions.

[barleycorn]

Well,, now that you mention it there is no reason for peak time bus lanes to be enforced on Boxing Day, or any other Bank Holiday for that matter. What could be clearer than saying all peak time bus lanes will not be in operation on any bank holiday (as many people wrongly suppose to already be the case)?

[alchemist]

Its not mentioned in the original article but WHO exactly forced the complainant to drive in the bus lane? Why did they do so? How did they do it? What would have happened to him if he didnt?

 

Well, we know the answer to the last question. He wouldnt have got fined and an entirely pointless thread on Sheffield Forum wouldnt have started

[Geo-atkinson]

You need to ask what the law is for....

 

The puropse of the law in this case is to ensure freer flow for public transoprt at busy periods helping buses to keep to timetable for the benefit of the passengers.

 

In that case, using the bus lane to extort money from motorists when the bus lane is not in use is fraudulent exploitation.

 

You could argue in court that the bus lane's, in this case, sole puropse is to generate income because no buses were running on that day.

[alchresearch]

Its not mentioned in the original article but WHO exactly forced the complainant to drive in the bus lane? Why did they do so? How did they do it? What would have happened to him if he didnt?

 

I asked the same pages ago. Christmas Day is pretty quiet so there should be no need to use the bus lane.

[sheffbag]

Its not mentioned in the original article but WHO exactly forced the complainant to drive in the bus lane? Why did they do so? How did they do it? What would have happened to him if he didnt?

 

Well, we know the answer to the last question. He wouldnt have got fined and an entirely pointless thread on Sheffield Forum wouldnt have started

 

Re-read the OP - they never did drive in it

"I am not a motorist, but I find it totally unacceptable for any Council to decide to enforce bus lane restrictions on Christmas Day."

 

so we've had 15 pages of debate over an issue 2 months old from an OP that had no impact from it.

[SnailyBoy]

You need to ask what the law is for....

 

The puropse of the law in this case is to ensure freer flow for public transoprt at busy periods helping buses to keep to timetable for the benefit of the passengers.

 

In that case, using the bus lane to extort money from motorists when the bus lane is not in use is fraudulent exploitation.

 

You could argue in court that the bus lane's, in this case, sole puropse is to generate income because no buses were running on that day.

 

Were motorists deceived in any way?

[Geo-atkinson]

Were motorists deceived in any way?

 

Now that's an interesting one. In a way, no. The driver is aware of the bus lane being in operation. The driver may assume that the bus lane can be used because it is Christmas day but that doesn't make it so. By the same token the council know the bus lane isn't required on Christmas Day. So if the council deliberately set out to check the CCTV with the intent of catching motorists puerly for financial gain then that's entrapment. If the council can demonstrate that the bus lane is required on that day then that's another story. But they can't, can they?

[Guest makapaka]

Now that's an interesting one. In a way, no. The driver is aware of the bus lane being in operation. The driver may assume that the bus lane can be used because it is Christmas day but that doesn't make it so. By the same token the council know the bus lane isn't required on Christmas Day. So if the council deliberately set out to check the CCTV with the intent of catching motorists puerly for financial gain then that's entrapment. If the council can demonstrate that the bus lane is required on that day then that's another story. But they can't, can they?

 

You make the same mistake as others in assuming the that a bus lane is a car lane occasionally assigned to buses - it's a lane for buses - it's not for people to drive cars in.

 

Therefore the council doesn't have to demonstrate that a bus lane is required - it only has to tell you that it's a bus lane and not to use it - which they do.