Clapham Park Road Bus Lane
Dear Lambeth Borough Council,
The statutory guidance to local authorities requires periodic reviews to be carried out to aim for continuous improvement in compliance. Given the ongoing extraordinarily high number of contraventions and PCNs issued at the Clapham Park Road bus lane (leading to the junction with Abbeville Road) and the fact that adjudicators have upheld appeals on the grounds that the signage is confusing, can you please provide information on any such reviews carried out between 1 Jan 2016 and 1 Jan 2024 to include the following:
1. Whether all concerns on the signage raised by adjudicators who upheld appeals were taken into consideration.
2. Whether recommendations for improvements made by adjudicators were taken into consideration.
3. Whether the guidance in the extract below was followed.
4. The outcome of any such reviews.
Yours faithfully,
Charles Dawson
Extract from Traffic Management Act 2004 Statutory Guidance to Local Authorities
on Bus Lane and Moving Traffic Enforcement Outside London
8. Appraising the Regulatory Regime
8.1 Local authorities should periodically monitor their bus lane and moving traffic
policies, regimes and associated regulatory framework (including penalty charge
levels) and should aim for continuous improvement in compliance. This should be
done at the same time as they review their plans for enforcing vehicle parking
contraventions. They should appraise them when reviewing Transport Plans.
8.2 Experience has shown that compliance with the restrictions markedly improves soon
after enforcement is commenced. If non-compliance at a particular location persists
at the same rate for a long period of time, that should alert the authority to a
possible need to review the lay out and signing of the restriction, including warning
and advisory signs along the route, considering representations made about drivers’
experiences.
8.3 Appraisals should take account of any relevant information collected as part of the
bus lane and moving traffic enforcement process, in particular about the practical
effectiveness of the schemes. They will benefit from interviews with camera
operators, who are in a unique position to identify changes to bus lane and moving
traffic enforcement patterns, and with office staff, who see challenges and
representations and the reasoning behind them. These might, for example, identify
specific enforcement issues that should be addressed to improve compliance or
reduce costs.
8.4 Appraisals should also seek the views of people and businesses with a range of
different needs as well as considering the views of the police.
8.5 It is recommended that the appraisal should take account of:
• existing and predicted levels of demand for lane space;
• the improved performance, reliability and punctuality of local bus services;
• increased levels of active travel if applicable to the restriction;
• the justification for, and accuracy of, existing TROs;
• the adequacy, clarity, accuracy and quality of traffic signing and road markings in
accordance with the Traffic Signs Manual;
• policies in neighbouring local authorities, to ensure consistency of approach;
• the optimum level of compliance with parking, bus lane and moving traffic
contravention controls;
• the level of enforcement necessary for compliance;
• the number of representations received and outcomes of appeals to the
adjudicators;
• the levels of penalty charges in line with prescribed banding;
• the need to resource the operation effectively (including staff to consider
representations) and ensure that all staff are appropriately trained;
• the targeting of enforcement at problem locations;
• impact on traffic flow (i.e. congestion and journey-time outcomes);
• impact of changes made to the highway layout.
8.6 At any location where a local authority believes that the number of contraventions
could be significantly reduced by reasonable improvements to the highway or to
traffic signs, enforcement should be suspended until such improvements are made.
Information request
Our reference: IRN23346777
Your reference: [FOI #1072538 email]
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Dear Charles Dawson
Freedom of Information Act 2000
Thank you for your request for information that was received on 16 January
2024.
We are dealing with your request under the Freedom of Information Act
2000 and we aim to send a response by 13 February 2024.
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Yours faithfully
Janine Wragg
FOI Team
London Borough of Lambeth
E-mail [Lambeth Borough Council request email]
Website: [1]www.lambeth.gov.uk
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Information request
Our reference: IRN23346777
Your reference: [FOI #1072538 email]
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Dear Sir/ Madam
Thank you for your request for information received on 16 January 2024.
Please find attached our response to your request.
Yours faithfully
Complaints and Information's Officer
FOI Team
London Borough of Lambeth
Website: [1]www.lambeth.gov.uk
P.O. Box 734
Winchester
S023 5DG
Lambeth - a Co-operative Council
NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email.
All Lambeth emails and attachments are private and intended solely for the
use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. Unauthorised
use (disclosure, storage or copying) is not permitted. If you are not the
intended recipient please destroy all copies and inform the sender by
return email.
All Lambeth emails and attachments are confidential and intended solely
for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. Some
emails may contain information that is legally-privileged or copyright
protected. Any views or opinions expressed in emails are solely those of
the author and do not necessarily represent those of Lambeth Council.
Unauthorised use (disclosure, storage or copying) of emails is not
permitted. If you are not the intended recipient please destroy all copies
and inform the sender by return email. Please note however, that
unencrypted emails sent to the council can be intercepted by an
unauthorised third party; as the information contained within is not
protected.
Lambeth Council reserves the right to monitor, record and retain any
incoming and outgoing emails for security reasons and for monitoring
internal compliance with the Council's policy on staff use. Although
software may be used to check, monitor and/or block the contents of emails
and attachments to identify the presence of malware; you are advised that
you open any attachments at your own risk.
As a public body, the Council may be required to disclose this email (or
any response to it) under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 unless the
information in it is covered by an exemptions in the Act.
Personal data we collect from you will be processed in accordance with
our [2]Privacy Notice.
Disclaimers apply - full details at [3]www.lambeth.gov.uk/email-disclaimer
References
Visible links
1. http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/
2. https://www.lambeth.gov.uk/elections-and...
3. https://www.lambeth.gov.uk/email-disclai...
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