Shaw Liberal Democrat Councillor and Deputy Leader Chris Gloster has written to the Leader of Oldham Council asking for £50 fines levied on drivers for a minor bus lane infringement to be reversed.

In his letter, Councillor Gloster calls for this ‘cash cow’ to be stopped.

Bus lanes in and around Oldham help ensure public transport passengers get to their chosen location on time, encouraging more users to choose public transport rather than drive reducing congestion and helping to make Oldham greener.  Bus lanes are monitored by cameras which detect when private motorists use them at times when they are reserved for buses. Offenders are routinely issued a fine for infringements.

Councillor Gloster was however recently perturbed to learn from two of his constituents that on occasions the local authority is overkeen on enforcement.

Commenting he said:  “I received complaints on the same day from two individuals who, having driven in the correct lane at the side of the bus lane, subsequently received a £50 fine through the post for ‘driving in the bus lane’ when they have clipped the very end of the bus lane with their front near side wheel whilst manoeuvring back into the lane at the end of the restrictions.

“Both complainants were able to show me photographic evidence of their minor infraction which is simply a case of clipping the end of the bus lane with one wheel.  I’m certain that most if not all councillors would agree that this was never in the spirit of what councillors aimed to achieve when agreeing to the bus lanes, and additionally agreeing to camera enforcement.

“I have therefore written to the leader of the council, Cllr Arooj Shah who is also Cabinet Member for Transport to ask that this practice, which is just a cash cow exploiting a minor infringement of the bus lane regulations which is not in the spirit of what the aim of the bus lanes were installed to achieve, is stopped.”