A £60 fine for diving in a bus lane may not seem very much to merit a full High Court hearing. However, everybody’s rights matter equally to judges and, with the right advice, you can invoke the legal system to enforce them to the hilt.
The case concerned a taxi driver who was fined after being photographed in a bus lane by a traffic control camera. His appeal to an independent adjudicator succeeded on the basis that traffic restriction signs in the area were not in recommended form and were too far away from the start of the bus lane.
The local authority challenged the decision. In dismissing its arguments, however, the Court found that the adjudicator was entitled to emphasise the importance of consistency in road signage. That was necessary to avoid confusion amongst road users who might be travelling at speed, in unfamiliar places or when visibility was poor. The relevant signs lacked the clarity required and did not provide enough information to motorists.