COUNCIL HANDS OUT 1500 BUS LANE FINES BY MISTAKE
COUNCIL roads bosses doled out more than 1500 bus fines to drivers – by mistake. In July, Stockwell Street was closed to traffic due to emergency works causing traffic to be diverted... into a bus lane.
But instead of switching off the camera, drivers were still caught by the system and sent out penalty notices for £30.
Glasgow City Council has now apologised for the error but motorists are still furious.
One motorist said she knew immediately what the issue was when she received her fine because she remembered the frustration of being diverted in a loop back to the bus lane with nowhere else to go.
The driver, who asked not to be named, said others will likely have forgotten the diversion and just paid up.
She also expressed surprise that no-one at the council roads department noticed a sudden surge in penalty notices being issues for the same street.
The angry driver said: “Given everything that’s been going on with the pandemic, many people will likely have forgotten why they were in a bus lane, and just paid up straight away.
“Surely, if nothing else, a higher than usual number of penalty notices being issued for one lane should have given someone at the council pause for thought.”
Between July 8 and 15, Stockwell Street was closed to all southbound traffic between Trongate and Osborne Street due to emergency SGN (Gas) roadworks.
This caused some traffic to be diverted northbound along the bus lane on Glassford Street.
The council said that, while it was aware of the emergency works, this was not communicated internally to those dealing with camera enforcement.
Like many other parts of the council, the section was running with reduced staff due to the city’s coronavirus response.
Officials became aware of the problem on July 24, by which point 1544 fines had been issued – worth more than £46,000 if motorists had paid up within 14 days.
Penalties double to £60 if aren’t paid up within those weeks.
The council has now refunded 110 people who had already paid while the rest of the penalty notices were cancelled.
A council spokeswoman they two said:
“This was a mistake. We’re sorry for the inconvenience caused to anyone who incorrectly received a penalty – and, in particular, those who paid before the error was noticed.
“All those affected have been contacted and, where appropriate, reimbursed.”