Anybody on here know Cardiff City Centre?

[pooroldcodger]

Our daughter visited Cardiff a couple of weeks ago by car.
Today she has received a penalty charge notice for driving in a bus lane.
I have looked at the video on line and you can see that she is driving down a
2 - way city road, in a long line of other vehicles, mainly cars, on a Saturday afternoon.
From what I can see it looks like the opposite side of the road is a bus lane.
From Google maps it also looks like the opposite side of the road from the way she was travelling in is a bus lane, but not the direction she was travelling in. It maybe an old picture of course.
So, if she has been correctly done for driving in a bus lane, it means that she was in very good company (as the video evidence shows at least 6 others).

I have tried to find out if there is a map of bus lanes in Cardiff, but haven't found one yet.

The road in question is Custom House Road in Cardiff.

Does anybody on here know the layout of that area? Is it a bus lane for both directions?

 

[AndyRKett]

I worked there for a month last year, they were doing a lot of road works in that area at the time.

Yes Google maps does appear to show its a bus lane in one direction but this 3D map which is much more current shows its busses only in both directions

 

[pooroldcodger]

Yes it looks that way! Thanks for finding that. After I posted the above last night I did some more digging and found that tens of thousands of people have been pinged on that road in the last year alone. It seems that if you don't know the area sat nav is probably sending you down there and the signage is (allegedly) so late that in traffic and once committed you have no choice but to continue on to that road.
I also found a case where a chap had composed an excellent technical and circumstantial defence, citing the type and positiong of the signage and road markings plus the impossibility of baling out once committed. Bristol council refuted all his arguments but in the final paragraph of a wordy reply they simply cancelled the charge as there was no record of that vehicle having transgressed before!
But as it is one of those "pay £35 now or £70 after 21 days I think I might just suggest she pays up and avoid Bristol in future!

 

[portland_bill]

Our daughter visited Cardiff a couple of weeks ago

The road in question is Custom House Road in Cardiff.

I think I might just suggest she pays up and avoid Bristol in future!

Probably easier to pay and not dispute, especially as it is a civil issue, not criminal, so no points, etc.

Hell of a bus lane, from Cardiff to Bristol! I must be careful of that across the bridge and on the M4.

 

[pooroldcodger]

Ha ha! In my defence she went to Bristol first but then Cardiff!
Actually I am supposed to be resting this week due to an illness. It just shows how easy it is to write nonsense when you think you are 100% but clearly aren't!

 

[deeyup]

May be a bit late now for you, but yes it is a bus lane.
I use it all the time but only on my Vespa as bikes are allowed.
It's a little confusing as most of Cardiff bus lanes have green painted floors. There are a few that are still unpainted though.
You do have to pass plenty of warnings as you enter the road though.




St Mary St

https://goo.gl/maps/sPmbu6AQx4k.

In all fairness to your daughter, that junction there is 5 ways. It can be very easy to find yourself in the wrong Lane if you don't know the roads. And if you have impatient racing drivers breathing down your neck it can be very easy to pick the most natural way that the road takes you, and that is onto the bus lane.

 

[pooroldcodger]

Thanks for your reply. The fine is paid now anyway, as the only way to challenge these things is to spend a hell of a lot of time trying to argue that the signage is inadequate - and still probably losing the argument!
You are spot on with your assessment of the likely scenario:
First time in that area of Cardiff
Tom Tom says go down that road
An overload of signage and other factors to take in
Follows about 6 other cars
Turns in to the road and bingo - realises after a few metres that it's a bus lane, but by then she'd been pinged.
When I told her that the letter had come I was proud of her that she knew exactly where and when it had happened, so it is not as if she was just totally unaware, but under the circumstances at the time it was a very easy (and seemingly very common and lucrative for Cardiff Council) mistake to make!