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ArishMell · 70-79, M
It very much depends on your national and local by-laws.
Certainly in the UK it is rarely worth fighting unless you can produce very strong evidence in your favour. Especially if a fixed-penalty imposed by a Council (typically parking, emission-area or bus-lane infringement).
You may have more right on your side if the ticket is from a private parking company acting for a supermarket, motorway service-area or the like: they are ruthless, bullying and often only just within the law. Commonly these companies will use pseudo-legal language and threats of debt-collectors (bailiffs) if you stand up to them, even though they know they have no legal right to do so unless first authorised by a County Court judgement in their favour - something that is not automatic.
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Watch for City Council tricks too, such as in Bristol.
Bristol city centre has Bus Lanes - so we all know we avoid driving in them. Only, it calls some, Bus Gates... pardon? By the time you've realised that's also a bus lane, not a junction-priority marking as I'd guessed wrongly, your car has been photographed. The traffic conditions at the time, including no buses running anyway, make no difference. The fine is £75 reduced to £35 for prompt payment - but if you appeal they will then charge the full balance, right or wrong, for your impudence!
Friends living near Bristol also tell me of motorists fined for entering a bus lane to allow an emergency-services vehicle to pass, and even of at least one main road where you are almost always forced into the bus lane anyway.
The city also has a low-emission area but like most of Bristol's inordinately tangled road network anyway, it is poorly sign-posted. Luckily the UK Government web-site has a section linked to the DVLA* records, so you can ascertain if your motor-vehicle (including a motorcycle) is compliant or not for any city with such a scheme.
If it's Glasgow, your vehicle won't be let in on payment of an emission-area charge, as in London, Bristol, etc. It won't be let in full-stop!
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*Driver & Vehicle Licensing Authority.
Certainly in the UK it is rarely worth fighting unless you can produce very strong evidence in your favour. Especially if a fixed-penalty imposed by a Council (typically parking, emission-area or bus-lane infringement).
You may have more right on your side if the ticket is from a private parking company acting for a supermarket, motorway service-area or the like: they are ruthless, bullying and often only just within the law. Commonly these companies will use pseudo-legal language and threats of debt-collectors (bailiffs) if you stand up to them, even though they know they have no legal right to do so unless first authorised by a County Court judgement in their favour - something that is not automatic.
.
Watch for City Council tricks too, such as in Bristol.
Bristol city centre has Bus Lanes - so we all know we avoid driving in them. Only, it calls some, Bus Gates... pardon? By the time you've realised that's also a bus lane, not a junction-priority marking as I'd guessed wrongly, your car has been photographed. The traffic conditions at the time, including no buses running anyway, make no difference. The fine is £75 reduced to £35 for prompt payment - but if you appeal they will then charge the full balance, right or wrong, for your impudence!
Friends living near Bristol also tell me of motorists fined for entering a bus lane to allow an emergency-services vehicle to pass, and even of at least one main road where you are almost always forced into the bus lane anyway.
The city also has a low-emission area but like most of Bristol's inordinately tangled road network anyway, it is poorly sign-posted. Luckily the UK Government web-site has a section linked to the DVLA* records, so you can ascertain if your motor-vehicle (including a motorcycle) is compliant or not for any city with such a scheme.
If it's Glasgow, your vehicle won't be let in on payment of an emission-area charge, as in London, Bristol, etc. It won't be let in full-stop!
'''''''
*Driver & Vehicle Licensing Authority.
ArishMell · 70-79, M
@Dacrowman They have to be on pretty firm ground legally, though. They are controlling parking on private, not public, land, so they do have a lot of right on their side even if their methods are often very dubious.
And of course there are many road users who wilfully flout as many regulations or even polite requests as they can.
And of course there are many road users who wilfully flout as many regulations or even polite requests as they can.




