Motorists’ fury at shocking rise in bus lane fines stories

Hard-working motorists in Belfast are being hit with record levels of bus lane fines stories. An investigation by Bikefast into bus lane articles shows a shocking increase of 104% in news and editorial output, from the Belfast Telegraph alone, over the last four years.

Belfast Telegraph front page Monday November 14, 2016 #NINews pic.twitter.com/HmXgKTV1Et

— Belfast Telegraph (@BelTel) November 14, 2016

Stories such as “Belfast bus lane driver fined over £4,000 has yet to pay single penny” are being published at an unprecedented rate of one every two weeks since January 2015. A staggering 51 bus lanes articles appeared in the Tele over that period, compared to just 25 over 2013 and 2014.

The disclosure will add to the growing criticism of the Belfast Telegraph, and is worrying local traders and “the motorist”.

Local media safety expert Harry Bollards thinks there may be a flaw in the editorial system:

“It’s concerning that we haven’t seen a reduction in bus lane fines stories as time goes on. Journalists have had time to get used to the new system as it beds in, yet they still get caught writing these stories on average twice a month.

“CCTV cameras have been erected around the city, but they have yet to detect any hint of an editorial change, such as to ask – are these fined motorists daft, selfish, ignorant, reckless or plainly too dangerous to be driving a car in a busy urban environment?”

One keen motorist from Belfast (who spoke on condition of anonymity) says the situation is driving him out of the city:

“These bus lanes stories are all over the place – they just appear out of nowhere when you least expect it. I can’t park outside my local newsagent any more without going in and seeing another bloody story about bus lanes on the front pages.”

“And they’ve made the rush hour unbearable – I’m stuck in heavy congestion watching buses and cyclists fly past, having to listen to Stephen Nolan or Frank Mitchell jumping on the bus lane bandwagon. They’re impossible to avoid.

“The weird thing is these journalists write stories to make you sympathise with people, like they’re the innocent victim of some money-grabbing scheme – and YOU could be caught out next. As a driver who’s never been fined for being in a bus lane, they sound mostly like chancers or idiots to me – nothing I can identify with.”

A spokesperson for all the media dismissed criticism of bus lane stories saying:

“It’s very easy to avoid a bus lane fine story – if you don’t make the mistake of reading the Belfast Telegraph or turning on your radio, you have nothing to worry about.”

Many ordinary motorists are believed (although we have no evidence) to be shunning Belfast due to worries that thousands of evidently unsafe drivers are circulating around the city with no idea how to read road signs.

Caller who got a fine: "I didn't know I was in a bus lane" on Donegall Sq E. This one. PLEASE TURN IN YOUR LICENCE. pic.twitter.com/pHKUY8OXh5

— NI Greenways (@nigreenways) January 14, 2016

Terry Towelling, owner of popular Belfast haberdashery Sew’s Yer Ma, claimed bus lane stories are destroying his business:

“I think footfall has dropped and everybody tells me the same reason why – they don’t want to be seen dead driving around Belfast, in case people think they’re one of these thousands of incompetent motorists.

“The media are painting grown adults as lacking the basic ability to identify simple markings and diagrams, and adapt their driving to travel safely around city streets. They’re making it socially unacceptable to be seen behind the wheel in Belfast.”

When asked for a comment, Councillor Billy B. Biscuits described it as:

“A shaackin sityeeyayshin soitis.”

In a later written statement, he said:

“It is becoming increasingly apparent to a lot of people that the bus lanes and the cameras on them are a money-spinner for local newspapers, rather than pointing out how much faster buses are moving people around Belfast. Like that Irish News story last week – “Belfast bus speeds up 4km per hour in two years despite dedicated lanes” – which somehow spun objective evidence of success of the bus lanes as a negative story. Here’s me ‘wha?!’

“It’s high time the local media carried out a review of its bus lane policy before law-abiding motorists, who are perfectly capable of operating a motor vehicle without attracting fines for contravening road rules, are put off shopping in Belfast by these stories.”

Sammy Wilson was not approached for comment.

2015/2016 Belfast Telegraph bus lane articles (51)

• More must be done to drive city forward
• Nearly 700 Belfast bus lane fines scrapped as drivers can’t be traced
• Belfast Telegraph behind victory for common sense as overnight bus lane curbs are lifted
• Time to axe 24-hour bus lane fine system
• 2,000 drivers fined for using Belfast’s bus lanes during dead of night
• Belfast bus lane enforcement excessive, says AA
• Belfast bus lane driver fined over £4,000 has yet to pay single penny
• Revealed: Which Northern Ireland bus lane camera raised £1m in fines in 15 months?
• New bus lanes on the way for Belfast motorists
• New bus lanes set to be introduced in Ballyhackamore, east Belfast next week
• Revealed: One driver fined £4k after being caught in Belfast bus lanes 91 times
• DRD reviews Belfast bus lane rules in response to taxi reform
• Time to get streetwise on bus lanes
• Belfast bus lane cameras rake in £1m in three months
• New bus lanes along busy Belfast route ‘will create traffic chaos’
• Pros and cons of Belfast bus lanes aside, the fines are a bit steep
• Belfast bus lane fines are outrageous, claims furious AA chief
• Sky News man has fine day (not) driving in Belfast
• Officials to be grilled after bus lane cameras turn 15,000 into law-breakers in just 8 weeks
• Belfast bus lane cameras catch 270 drivers a day a fears grow blitz will deter shoppers from city centre
• Belfast motorists say confusing traffic signs are driving them round the bend
• Are you confused by these Belfast road signs?
• Retailers need a helping hand
• DRD ‘admits’ to an anomaly in law over access to Europa Hotel
• Bride and gloom as wedding car driver fined over Belfast bus lane incursion at Europa Hotel
• Wedding car firm’s frustration at fine after driving ’60 yards’ in bus lane to deliver bride and groom to Europa
• Traders reserving judgment over new bus lanes until the schools come back
• Drivers braced for chaos as one of Belfast’s busiest roads gets bus lanes
• New bus lanes in Belfast are to operate from next week
• Belfast City Hall to grill roads minister over much-maligned bus lanes
• Belfast’s countdown to new bus lane misery continues… even though the overall plan is under review
• More bus lanes not the answer
• Belfast’s busiest road faces new bus lane misery and ‘crazy restrictions’
• Belfast now has 30 miles of road that drivers hate
• Belfast bus lane move ‘will be a disaster for our area’
• Belfast bus lane fines scrapped due to fault with cameras
• 700 Belfast bus lane penalty notices cancelled
• Belfast bus lane cameras net £57,000 in just one week
• Bus lane fines hit £115,000 after just one week in operation
• More than 1,000 drivers caught in first week of bus lane cameras in Northern Ireland
• Taxi drivers enraged at pick-up ban from outside Belfast’s Central Station
• Motorists now facing £90 fine for using Belfast bus lanes
• Bus lane penalties come into effect
• Bus lane cameras switch on today – with £90 fines for law breakers
• Bus lane cameras go into operation
• Motorists tired of being targeted
• £90 fine for driving in a bus lane is ‘just a money-making racket’
• Penalties left drivers furious all over the UK
• I don’t like the idea of more cameras on the streets, but people should obey the rules – or pay the price
• Belfast bus lanes: Cameras will catch drivers illegally using lanes
• Cameras to catch bus lane motorists

2013/2014 Belfast Telegraph bus lane articles (25)

• Bus lanes help drive to open up city centre
• Scrap all bus lanes in Belfast city centre – daily traffic jams prompt calls for review of transport strategy
• Bus lanes: Beleaguered retailers claim snarl-ups only adding to their financial troubles
• Traffic plans backfire for retailers
• Liverpool scraps bulk of its system
• Move to open city centre bus lanes up to cars for Christmas is rejected
• Belfast city centre congestion is going to hell on a rickshaw
• Maybe it’s time to let us all use bus lanes
• Jury out on city’s traffic ‘solution’
• Incredulity over claim controversial traffic scheme in Belfast centre has driven 11,000 cars a day off streets
• The drive to reduce our car use
• ‘Belfast’s bus lanes, traffic restrictions and parking charges do more damage than Union flag protests’
• Motorists using Belfast bus lanes at weekends is ‘a non-starter’
• Open Belfast bus lanes at weekends, says Arlene Foster
• Anti-car drive is leaving traders in a pretty Pickle
• Urgent talks demanded to ease gridlocked streets
• Belfast planners insist bus lane measures will work once they have bedded in
• Telegraph’s bus lane revelation: minister quizzed
• Cyclists fear swamping by taxis if Belfast bus lane rules eased
• Letting taxis use bus lanes is not fare on brave cyclists
• Taxis in bus lanes will make streets more risky for cyclists, claim pedalling protesters
• Bus lanes open to all taxis … and you can hail them, too
• We need a joined-up plan to make drivers park cars
• Belfast gridlock fears as road scheme restarts
• Minister in bus lane U-turn

More bad satire

• Bin lane users call for action on cyclists
• Belfast Cycling Study Tour

Footfall +2.6% on Jan15, beating UK avg.

So is this the fault of bus/cycle lanes, CCTV, 20mph or parking wardens?https://t.co/8YoERsbWLj

— NI Greenways (@nigreenways) February 16, 2016