Butler Street fines to be refunded as appeals granted

One of the new signs about the change in layout at Fishergate as you leave the station Pic: Tony Worrall — One of the signs in Butler Street Pic: Tony Worrall

Drivers who turned right out of Butler Street into Fishergate could be refunded their fine.

Lancashire County Council brought in the measure near the railway station following delays of more than an hour escaping the Fishergate car park during the Christmas shopping period in 2015.

A bus lane was put in with an enforcement camera on 31 October last year and anyone turning right at Butler Street was fined for going into the bus lane.

Fishergate bus lane fines were overturned by an independent inspector and now five appeals have triggered the same decision in Butler Street, due to inadequate signage.

Independent adjudicator Edward Solomons has suggested changes to the location and lighting of signs.

The county council says it will be refund first-time penalty charges for anyone caught turning right out of Butler Street.

Anyone wanting to apply should do so via the county council website before Wednesday 10 May.

Phil Barrett, director of community services at Lancashire County Council, said: “We will not be appealing against the adjudicator’s decision and we’ll be providing a refund to people who seek one on the basis of the adequacy of the signing. There are details on how to do this on our website.

“The right turn restriction from Butler Street is an important part of the road network in this part of the city centre, helping to reduce queuing at peak times. We’ve had support from businesses and bus operators regarding this benefit, and we will be changing the signing on Butler Street to address the adjudicator’s findings.”

The overall Fishergate bus lane scheme is due to be fully reviewed at the end of April and at present all the bus lane cameras are switched off – although the bus lane is still in operation.

Fishergate bus lane fines can also be appealed – and the county council has extended the deadline to apply for a refund to also be Wednesday 10 May.

What do you think about the Fishergate bus lane? Will you be applying for a refund? Let us know in the comments below