Beware the 'flying motorbike' sign

 

Mr Mustard thinks that by now, every driver in London would be aware of the 'flying motorbike' sign given that it spread across London like a rash during covid before when, although in the Highway Code for decades, it was little used. Councils rushed to cash in when they realised how easy it was to miss this sign (you wouldn't miss a red no entry sign) and how they could stick it halfway down a well used thoroughfare and get the cash register ringing like crazy.

This morning Mr Mustard took a phone call from a lady who had driven into Holmes Road, NW5 as above and received a PCN. The signs are set back a bit, they should be more prominent, but an adjudicator would probably find them to be adequate. Looking online at the 23 PCNs which went to the indepedent tribunal for this road, the vast majority were lost. Camden are generally well organised.

When you see a 'no through road' sign you expect to be able to drive down it until physically stopped, but no, it may be a stoppage due to signage, like these

Observant readers will have spotted 'Holmes Rd' overlaid by google on the image. Yes, this is further down the same road, about 80m further down. Yes, you guessed it, the lady drove straight through this restriction as well. So that's two PCNs at £160. Ouch.

Now you have to get out of Holmes Road. Two places where you don't want to turn left to get out !

 

You really need to be sharp to drive in London these days. Forget the sat nav, start looking through the windscreen, at everything, say out loud all the signs you see and also go online and read about traffic signs a free site which will save you hundreds of £££.

Do you know what this sign means?

It means no vehicles, except cycles being pushed. There, that has saved you a few quid.

The end.

A cautious hurrah for Hammersmith & Fulham

Mr Mustard has a tribunal case relating to Imperial Road in Fulham. It is an easy restriction to miss as it just doesn't look like a road you shouldn't drive down.

Researching his case he looked at recent winning cases at the tribunal. One supported his over-signing argument and another a delay in responding to representations argument. Wednesday will tell us if either argument worked.

As a complete aside he found this in decision 2250382511:

The traffic order contains the following exemption so the Bolt / Uber deal is entirely sensible. Mr Mustard made an error, the traffic order exemption does not apply to Imperial Road but to the following streets in Schedule 2

Mr Mustard has just realised that gives him another ground of Appeal at the tribunal as the signs, below, don't tell you that you can enter for Boarding &/or Alighting or for Loading/Unloading.

The reason why the council have made the arrangement with Bolt & Uber must be because they were issuing, say, 100 PCNs a day and they were all being challenged and had to be cancelled which wasted a fee for each PCN paid to London Councils (about 50p a time) and whatever they had to pay the contractor for issuing each PCN and then cancelling it. A simple matter of administrative convenience and finance.

Mr Mustard is now wondering how far the council have made this administrative arrangement know to mini-cab companies within Hammersmith & Fulham and further afield in London generally. Mr Mustard will ask the question of the council.

In the meantime, if you have a mini-cab company in London or have to deliver within the borough (John Lewis must be there quite often and Harrods and other major department stores) you could start emailing your vehicle movements to the council using the email address of enquiries@lbhfparking.com thus destroying the belief in the mind of the council, necessary for the issuance of a PCN, that you have committed a contravention.

The end, for now.