Harrow: 39ft bus lane pockets council £442k in fines

The bus lane at the junction of Northolt Road with Alexandra Avenue

A bus lane not much longer than a double-decker has generated almost £450,000 in fines in just under two years.

Data shows 7,854 drivers were caught using the 39ft (11.9m) section of Northolt Road, South Harrow, between April 2019 and the end of 2021.

Driver Geoffrey Ben-Nathan, 77, who successfully overturned his own fine, obtained the figures from the council.

Harrow Council said it was against the law for motorists to use the bus lane.

The north-west London authority generated £442,363.36 during the period.

In his successful appeal, Mr Ben-Nathan argued the signage on the approach to the lane was "unclear" and he had entered it by accident.

Adjudicators found in his favour after hearing most restrictions along the same route only applied at certain times of day.

But this becomes a 24/7 restriction for the small section at the junction with Alexandra Avenue.

He told a tribunal he drove into the lane by accident, Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Nearly 8,000 drivers in Harrow were caught using the bus lane between April 2019 and December 2021.

The retired businessman submitted a Freedom of Information request to the council which revealed the figures.

He felt many who were caught would "simply pay up".

As part of the tribunal hearing, Mr Ben-Nathan gave several examples of other motorists who had overturned their fines by using similar reasoning to his own. 

He suggested the council was happy to keep the measures in place because, even if it loses a few cases, the majority of people will still pay their fines. 

Harrow Council said: "We believe that the signage here is clear and in accordance with the law."

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