AA says thousands of drivers paying invalid fines

Thousands of drivers across London are paying illegal fixed penalty notices (FPNs) due to enforcement and ban cameras lacking up-to-date authentication, according to the AA.

Recent decisions of traffic adjudicators at the London Tribunal show that at least six councils have issued such FPNs.

The AA raised concerns about those who appealed against fines and did not have their FPN canceled after the first complaint.

The Department for Transport (DfT) said it is now proposing reforms to the Traffic Management Orders (TMOs) that govern local road restrictions.

The London boroughs of Lambeth, Croydon, Harrow, Redbridge and Greenwich, and the City of London, were unable to provide paperwork to validate FPNs issued in the three weeks until 4 January.

Adjudicators overturned these penalties, but AA believes this is just the “tip of the iceberg”.

An analysis by AA, based on london councils The figures show that 56% of appeals made against bus lane fines last year were either upheld or not challenged.

For traffic offenses such as stopping in a yellow box without permission the figure was 35%.

In total, about 7,300 appeals were successful.

But hundreds of drivers who received these FPNs paid within 14 days to secure a 50% discount for early settlement, the AA said.

Last year, 4,478 FPNs were received, totaling more than £500,000, the Southwark News reported. Motorists entering bus lanes in Rotherhithe Who did not have a valid TMO.

Luke Bosset, of the AA’s motoring policy unit, said: “It is outrageous to be given a fine after any ban has expired.

“Councils’ lack of accountability for road traffic enforcement needs to be reviewed by the Department for Transport,” he said.

A DfT spokesperson said: “Local authorities are responsible for local traffic measures and must ensure that fines for bus lane use are fair and proportionate.

“They need to ensure their traffic management orders are up to date, and we will share proposals to modernize this process, making it more efficient for local authorities.”

London councils said it encouraged those issued with invalid FPNs to report the matter to their local authority and to appeal any rejection with a London tribunal.

The spokesman said he could not comment on decisions taken by individual London boroughs.