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Posted on the 3rd April 2025 in PHTM News
COUNCIL APOLOGISES TO SIDCUP CAB DRIVER HIT WITH £650 IN FINES FOR USING EXEMPT BUS LANE
A London black cab driver, Paul Luchford, was incorrectly slapped with £650 in fines by Greenwich Council for using a bus lane where taxis are exempt.
Over a three-week period in March, Luchford received five Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) for driving in Blackwall Lane, despite clear signage indicating taxi exemptions.
Luchford, a veteran driver of over 20 years, regularly uses the lane for his route between Blackheath and Canary Wharf. “I’ve been going down this bus lane since 2020 and now all of a sudden they’re issuing PCNs for using it,” he said, expressing his confusion and frustration.
The fines, totaling £130 each, accumulated quickly, causing Luchford “unnecessary stress.” “The job is stressful enough,” he explained. “You always wonder - did I do something wrong?”
Fortunately, his appeals were successful, with the council admitting a “system error.”
A council spokesperson stated: “We apologise that due to a system error, Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) were incorrectly generated for an exempt vehicle. This has now been resolved and the PCNs have been cancelled.
"The owner has received a written response confirming this.”
Blackwall Lane is known for high PCN issuance. Data shows that the southbound lane ranked second highest in Greenwich for PCNs issued between April 2023 and April 2024, with 3,612 fines. An additional 566 PCNs were issued in the northbound lane.
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