Bus Lane Enforcement

Traffic Camera Bus lanes can only be used by buses, Hackney carriages, and pedal cycles.

Disabled drivers/blue badge holders are not exempt from bus lane enforcement.

Parking is not allowed in a bus lane; there are no exemptions for blue badge holders.

You can only load in a bus lane where it is not prohibited by a loading ban or a clearway (a clearway is indicated by a yellow line next to the kerb and a sign).

Bus lanes are now being enforced in Tameside using camera technology which captures the registration number of vehicles that are not authorised to use the bus lanes. The scheme helps make our public transport system as reliable and punctual as possible and reduce congestion.

Tameside has Bus Lanes on the following roads:

Oldham Rd, Ashton under Lyne

Audenshaw Rd, Audenshaw

New Beech St, Hyde

Manchester Rd South, Denton

Manchester Rd North, Denton

If a driver is found to be illegally driving in a bus lane, the Council will send a Penalty Charge Notice through the post to the registered keeper of the vehicle along with photographic evidence. The charge is £60, reduced to £30 if paid within 21 days of the date of service. Details of how to pay are on the Notice to Owner.

Failure to pay the amount outstanding will result in the Council taking action against you/the registered keeper of the vehicle to recover the amount due.

Appeals

There is an appeals process to ensure that anyone who feels they have been unjustly fined can have their appeal reviewed by a Council officer.

The Bus Lane Contraventions (Penalty Charge Adjudication and Enforcement) (England) Regulations 2004 (SI No 2757) sets out the grounds on which you make representation to the Council. These are listed below:

The penalty charge exceeds the relevant amount
The penalty charge notice has been paid
The circumstances leading to the issue of the Penalty Charge Notice are subject to criminal proceedings or a Fixed Penalty Notice has been issued.
I was not the owner/keeper of the vehicles at the time of the alleged contravention
I was not the hirer of the vehicle at the time of the alleged contravention
There has been a procedural impropriety on the part of the enforcement authority
I was the registered owner/keeper of the vehicle at the date of the alleged contravention but the vehicle:
- Was on hire to someone else, who had signed a statement taking liability
- Kept by a motor trader; or
- Was being used without my consent at the alleged time of the incident.

The Council will also consider mitigating circumstances

Do not pay the charge if you wish to make an appeal. All formal representations must be made in writing, this is so that they can be fully considered and can be reproduced should the penalty charge case progress to independent adjudication via the Traffic Penalty Tribunal. If you wish to make a formal representation you must follow the instructions on the Penalty Charge Notice/Notice to Owner document you have been sent.

If the Council accepts your representations, you will be notified of the decision. If the Council rejects your representations, you will be sent a Notice of Rejection and details of how to pay the penalty charge notice or appeal to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal. Your penalty charge case will be placed on hold and held at the amount currently outstanding whilst we consider your formal representation.

The Traffic Penalty Tribunal (TPT) is independent from the Council and there is no charge to make an appeal. You may only appeal to TPT if you have first made a representation to the Council in response to the issue of a penalty charge notice/notice to owner, and have received a formal notice of rejection in response. All appeals are made to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal are against the full penalty charge notice of £60.

The details of how to appeal are included in the Notice of Rejection letter; this must be submitted within 28 days of receipt. You can choose whether have your hearing heard by the adjudicator by post, in person, or over the telephone. The adjudicators’ decision will be binding on both you and the council.

If the adjudicator dismisses you case, and you do not pay the charge within the stated time, you will be sent a charge certificate which will increase the amount owned by 50%.