YOU HAVE YOUR SAY

EVERY week, Money Mail receives hundreds of your letters and emails about our stories. Here are some from our article about how a reporter’s battle at a traffic tribunal could help you overturn an unfair penalty: HOW I BEAT GREEDY COUNCIL’S £520 FINE FOR STOPPING IN A BUS LANE Money Mail, January 10 WHAT an excellent result. I was fined for using a bus lane at 3am, long after the buses had stopped running. Councils are milking motorists for huge sums without any fairness. K. B., South Shields, Tyne & Wear. HOW much money did the council spend collecting and defending this fine? After you add in the high salaries, it’s no wonder there is very little left for public services. M. N., Portadown, N. Ireland. IT’S good to see this reporter’s claim was successful, but I think she got lucky. I think the council had a strong case, but didn’t defend it properly. M. D., London. THE problem is that the burden of proof is on the driver — you are guilty until you are proven otherwise. Bullying councils need to look at the way they enforce traffic offences such as this. It’s clearly unfair. D. N., Southampton. IT’S simple: you must not drive in bus lanes — the signs looked pretty clear to me. Nobody likes getting a fine, but sometimes, you’ve just got to accept it and pay when you do wrong. N. C., London. I HAD the same issue when riding my motorcycle in a bus lane near King’s Cross in London. I couldn’t see the signage, so thought I was allowed to ride there. I appealed the fine, but it was rejected. I could have gone to a tribunal, but thought it wasn’t worth it and paid the £60 fine. F. D., Chatham, Kent. I FIND it astounding that councils can set fines at levels which, for some people, amount to a week’s wages. Other countries levy fines based on a percentage of your earnings — that’s how it should be. T. S., Essex. ÷ WRITE to Tony Hazell at Ask Tony, Money Mail, Northcliffe House, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT or email asktony@dailymail.co.uk — please include your daytime phone number, postal address and a separate note addressed to the offending organisation giving them permission to talk to Tony Hazell. We regret we cannot reply to individual letters. Please do not send original documents as we cannot take responsibility for them. No legal responsibility can be accepted by the Daily Mail for answers given.