About Time The Stasi Councils Were Bought Into Line

[youngmafbog]

"Driver who pulled into a bus lane to let an ambulance pass is FINED £130""
IMHO, where a fine is to be dished out it should be by the Police & Courts. If they need to employ more then so be it, they dont need to be fully fledged coppers just traffic warden types but trained in law and be answerable. And they can be paid for by taking the amount for them out of the council subsidy, after all they wont need so much if they are not needing to provide the job.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11310931/Driver-pulled-bus-lane-let-ambulance-pass-fined-130-causing-backlash-Brits.html

[bhg481]

Did you read to the end?

A spokesperson for Waltham Forest Council said: 'We have investigated this incident and this fine was issued in error. It has now been cancelled. We apologise for the mistake.'

[Old_Geezer]

Wow,a council that doesn't try to justify itself but admits error.

You need to frame that one.

[bhg481]

O_G - but would they have done if it hadn't been plastered all over the newspaper?

[sp1814]

bhg481

How did the timeline work on that - did the story break before the council reacted?

Looking at the piece, it appeared the council admitted it was wrong, then the story came out.

Unless time has started going in reverse.

[youngmafbog]

Yes, I read the article.

It quite clearly says the council refused to listen until there was a backlash. They refused the appeal. In other words they were forced into it.

[jno]

///traffic warden types but trained in law///

but that was and is the law. It's the law that needs changing - as he's suggested.

[ladybirder]

What if the ambulance had moved into the bus lane instead? Same result?

[bhg481]

I was once waiting at traffic lights on a roundabout at a motorway junction when I saw an ambulance on blues come behind be and I as blocking it. The stop line is several yards short of the junction and I was able to move forward enough to let the ambulance pass without any part of my car being in danger of any traffic coming off the motorway. Technically I was in the wrong but I would have felt hard-done-by if I had been prosecuted.
The law needs changing.

[Hymie]

It would be a simple matter to change the highway-code in relation to getting out of the way of an emergency vehicle at a red light with something like: in order to expedite the passage of an emergency vehicle it is permissible to pass a traffic signal at red if it is safe to do so.

This would leave the onus on the driver to ensure that it was safe to pass a signal at red – should an accident occur involving another vehicle that had a green signal, then the driver passing the light at red would be judged at fault.

[bobbinwales]

Yes its the law thats the issue here although maybe councils could use judgment and decide not to persue some of these.
Butt.... am allways a bit skeptical of some of these cases where people are in bus lanes and say they were moving out of the way of an ambulance...surely the ambulance should be the one going into the buslane if it was clear.... why does a car driver think there the one that should move

[Zacs-Master]

Definitely a move towards a Stasi controlled state when councils can dish out motoring fines. What next, firing squads for littering?

[Atheist]

Zacs; I hope you are mocking the Daily Mail mentality. £130 fine which was later removed; comparing that to GDR secret police is daft, isn't it?

[bhg481]

bobbb //surely the ambulance should be the one going into the buslane if it was clear//

Yes, it should and that's what the law says.

// why does a car driver think there the one that should move//

I think that car drivers feel they ought to get out of the way of an emergency vehicle to give it as clear a run as possible. That's certainly the way I (and my wife) feel if we're aware of blue lights somewhere around.

[bobbinwales]

I think its safer to stop and let the ambulance find the best way round whether its in bus lanes, on the pavement, other side of the road

[Zacs-Master]

Definitely not atheist. It’s a slippery slope. Just you wait and see, they’ll be torturing people for their tax returns soon, you mark my words!

[Atheist]

Thanks, Zacs. We atheists don't have a sense of humour, so the explanation was useful.

[Zacs-Master]

:-)

[jno]

bhg, yes, that's what I do on the odd occasion when there are flashing lights around me: think "How can I best get out of the way and let the emergency vehicle pass?"

It's annoying to realise that at least some others are thinking "How many fines can I impose in this situation?" But I have to say nothing like this story has ever happened to me.

[THECORBYLOON]

HYMIE, "It would be a simple matter to change the highway-code..."

It would need a change in legislation, not The Highway Code.