Drop PCNS for first offenders, councils urged

DRIVERS who violate bus lane restrictions for the first time should be handed a warning instead of a penalty charge notice (PCN) by local councils, the AA has said.

The call comes after new bus lane cameras in Preston, Lancs, caught 30,000 people in just three months. And while the council ran a two-week grace period where 8,000 offenders were spared a fine, over 16,000 motorists have since paid the £60 PCN, earning the council over £960,000. The Traffic Penalty Tribunal has now found the bus lane was poorly signposted, prompting many people to appeal their fines.

The AA called the practice a “money trap” and said councils across the UK should adhere to Department for Transport guidance on bus lane enforcement that states: “A warning letter rather than a PCN should be issued the first time that a vehicle is detected contravening bus lane regulations, irrespective of when civil enforcement was introduced.”

Currently, councils only operate a twoweek grace period where motorists aren’t fined, but the AA said more must be done to inform drivers of new restrictions, adding: “If councils were serious about deterring behaviour rather than raking in money, they would issue all firsttime offenders with a warning, as the signage isn’t always clear and honest mistakes can be made.”

“Councils should adhere to DFT regs and issue a warning for a first offence”