Peckham traffic infringement fines - bewary

[Paul Lupton]

Is it me, or is Peckham just a no go area for vehicles any more?

I have had 2 fines recently the first, for having the minutest piece of car tread on a yellow box junction which has a traffic lights system deliberately designed to trap you on it (as the lights are out of sequence so once 2 cars move forward on the green light the next lights changes to red after 3/4 seconds. This is on Peckham Road right outside the bus station (how many have been caught on it I wonder, and how much does this earn for the Council an hour/per day?) I know of 2 other friends recently caught doing exactly what I did. Surely this is a deliberate ploy to catch unsuspecting motorists local or not? I've no idea how visitors to London cope with our magnificent road network.

The second, was along Peckham Rye where if you I turn left as I did, at the traffic lights with E D Rd/Nunhead Lane, you get another ?65 camera infringement ticket - Why? Well you can't turn left or right at these lights, but here's the catch ... if you come on to Peckham Rye via Kinsale Avenue, you can't see the 'no right or left' tunrning sign (that's only one, which you are side on to) as you turn on to Peckham Rye and then the traffic lights were obscured a by bus (both sides) and a cycle sign so you can't see the lights showing straight on only

Sorry, Councillors of Peckham but this is getting ridiculous and just isn't cricket - I am appealing the 2nd one but if Peckham think this is assisting traffic flow etc it isn't, besides which there seems no point at all stopping people turning left at these lights. The bottom line here id it's just making hard working people think twice before driving there again or working there - it wouldn't be so bad if the fines gave you free and more car parking areas.

I realise Councils are strapped for cash but you'll have no passing trade before long if you keep this up! It's quite simply another cash cow Council trap for the unsuspecting motorist who only has one pair of eyes and no defence camera of his own.

Interested to hear from others with similar experiences and appeals advice.

Ta Paul

[uncleglen]

Oh dear....Southwark council must be skint again...I expect they will put it down to Tory cuts- the fact that they literally have to commit highway robbery

[DulwichFox]

Motorists are an easy target for fund raising...

Watching out that you keep UNDER 20mph...

New No Right turns.. No Left turns.. No entry .. Bus lane times ....Junction boxes.

Daily changes to one way systems... Road humps... Chicanes ... barriers ....

closed roads ... one way streets... Yellow lines..

and of course CAMERAS...

And people wonder why cyclists are being hit.

Its crazy..

DulwichFox

[Andrew1011]

Make sure you appeal, it can often be worth the effort.

[carlos]

Hi I recently received a fine from being over the yellow box junction outside the bus garage in Peckham and as you said its a trap as its impossible to make a judgment if the traffic stops suddenly due to the traffic lights, I was driving behind a tall lorry could not see what was going on ahead. It's very easy money for them and should be against the law in my opinion to set this kind of trap.

I appealed and it got rejected by them, well they would reject it wouldn't they, it's easy money for them so what is the incentive for them to dismiss the fine? Anyway I have just sent off the appeal of the rejection which means it goes to the courts. One of the reasons I put was and this was something I found by googling yellow box junction Peckham bus garage, that yellow box junctions must be at a junction of two roads and that is not a proper road it's an entrance to a bus garage. The downside of taking it further however is that if tfl do decide to fight it and I lose I won't be able to pay half the amount. It's a gamble but I think something needs to be done about it, it is purly done for making money and no other reason that is obvious. If they didn't want any car to block the entrance then they would simply redesign the road.

Good luck with your appeal my advice is to do as much research as possible.

[ruffers]

I'm not clear how a lorry can stop you seeing if your exit is clear?

[Jeremy]

In heavy traffic you really have to stop before the box junction and wait until the path is clear. It's pretty annoying as it's highly likely that someone will either jump in front of you or beep at you - especially in Peckham! But it's really your only option if you don't want to get caught out. I've been caught in the same place.. nothing you can do but take in on the chin and learn your lesson.

[Earl Aelfheah]

DulwichFox Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Motorists are an easy target for fund raising...

I thought all the money raised has to be put back into traffic calming measures / policing, or has that changed?

[ruffers]

Paul Lupton Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

>> The second, was along Peckham Rye where if you I

> turn left as I did, at the traffic lights with E D

> Rd/Nunhead Lane, you get another ?65 camera

> infringement ticket - Why? Well you can't turn

> left or right at these lights, but here's the

> catch ... if you come on to Peckham Rye via

> Kinsale Avenue, you can't see the 'no right or

> left' tunrning sign (that's only one, which you

> are side on to) as you turn on to Peckham Rye and

> then the traffic lights were obscured a by bus

> (both sides) and a cycle sign so you can't see the

> lights showing straight on only

I can't see how you'll win this one. I see what you mean re the sign, but the traffic lights have a clear straight on only arrow on them. For you to turn left the left one had to be visible. Save your money.

[DominickHide]

Stick to to the rules of the road and no probs. Simps.

[edcam]

Precisely. There's a lot of moaning on this forum from people who have been caught breaking the rules. It's quite possible to negotiate driving through both of the places the OP mentions without breaking any rules. Pay the fines while they're still half price!

[Paul Lupton]

Well thanks for some sympathies for my position and for those (clearly more familiar & naturally motoring skilled than I, both with the local highway code rules and driving acumen, than I - oh, and I failed to mention have a perfectly clean licence for 30 ++ years, or am I going to kick off the ageist provocation? !)

Conclusion - I'm in the Carlos and Andrew 1011 camp as I can't as a local small businessman afford these ridiculous fines and over zealous battering of the fairly average and honest decent driver and person. The alternative is I never go into, through or work in places like Peckham (personally I ain't fussed either way), n

Interestingly, theat's me generally working policy for the whole of Lambeth !

Cheers - I hope to report good news.

Paul

[ruffers]

You asked for appeals advice and I gave it - I don't think you'll win, save your money. Others have appealed on the same junction and lost.

The the rules are clear on yellow boxes and you broke them, and the sign is there on the no left turn. What did you hope to hear?

[bawdy-nan]

I agree Paul Lupton that the yellow box near the bus station is very tricky and the traffic light signalling really doesn't help: ie light is green for you to go but the traffic lights just beyond are red so the cars in the small amount of road beyond the yellow box not moving. I've been caught out by that so I know the frustration. I can also see, however that it is important to keep that section of the road free and I did, albeit inadvertently break the rules. So, I just paid the fine quickly.

As a consequence I've become very wary of all yellow box junctions and am now absolutely sure that there's a full car length available for me to get into much to the hooting chagrin of the drivers behind me.

[Mustard]

Agree with bawdy-nan. I also avoid that area as much as possible.