Glasgow Bus Lane Fine fury as churchgoers caught out by "confusing" system

Jun 13 2012 EXCLUSIVE by Ben Spencer

CHURCHGOERS have been hit with fines because of a bizarre bus lane system on a city centre street.

The city council started handing out fines to motorists who drove on bus lanes outside permitted times on April 23.

But members of the St George’s Tron Church have since been rocked by a series of fines because of the “confusing” bus lane system on West George Street.

A section of the street, which leads to the church, is a bus lane for three hours a day only but not on Sundays. But another section of the same street is a bus lane 24 hours a day throughout the week.

Members of the church have told of their fury after being handed a series of fines for straying into the 24 hour bus lane on their way to service on a Sunday.

Dad-of-three William Black labelled the strange bus lane “sneaky” and accused the council of using the bus lane enforcement system as a “stealth tax”.

He said: “We’ve been travelling to the Tron for six and a half years and parking on West George Street for all that time.

“My son was driving my car after church. He was pulling away and had to move past a parked car so he went into the bus lane for about 10 or 15 yards before moving back into the bus lane.

“We know not to use bus lanes and that there are certain time restrictions.

“I’m 58 and I’ve had only one speeding ticket. I was mortified getting this.

“At the top of West George Street there are some signs that give times when it is a bus lane, but the signs at the bottom do not say any times.”

William, a teacher, said when he was told there were different bus lane times along the same short stretch of road, he could not believe it.

He added: “I’ve put in my appeal against this fine. If the signs at the bottom of the road were to change anything, then they would need to make this very clear.

“This is typical of the way local government is going at the moment. It’s another stealth tax.

“The idea that they can change it halfway down the road is totally sneaky.

“There are apparently a number of people who have had these as a lot of the congregation park on West George Street.”

William said he had heard from several other church members who had been affected by the bizarre bus system.

Glasgow City Council said: “Information regarding access to the bus lane is clearly signposted.”

Two weeks ago we exclusively revealed how the city council had raised nearly £1m in fines in just four weeks-read all about it here.