Councillor can't understand why 10,000 motorists have been fined for using Park Way Bridge

Critics of the system say the reason is clear – the signs are inadequate, at least for motorists exiting the car parks.
Last week the Newbury Weekly News reported that an independent tribunal had upheld an appeal by Reading motorist Peter Jeffries, who was fined £60 on September 12 last year for exiting one of the Wharf car parks into the bus, taxi and bicycle-only lane.
The Traffic Penalty Tribunal adjudicator cancelled the fine and ruled that the “alleged contravention did not occur” because the carriageway warning is sited so that drivers have already entered the forbidden area by the time they have seen it.
In addition, the signs are “not adequately clear” and give “insufficient opportunity to understand where the restriction begins and how to avoid it”.
The ruling also noted there was no marking on the roundabout.
Subsequently, council traffic officer Mark Cole has written to the tribunal chief adjudicator, asking for the decision to be reconsidered, stating: “Unfortunately [Mr Jeffries] has chosen to bring elements of the adjudicator’s decision letter to the local press who have drawn their own conclusions and blown the decision... out of all proportion. I am seeking a review of this decision.”
Meanwhile, another motorist, Mike Walker, who queried his fines in the light of the coverage ,was told by the council’s parking office: “The adjudicator did not rule the signs illegal.”
The NWN has sought to discuss the council’s allegations and to clarify its position, but highways portfolio holder Pamela Bale did not respond to numerous requests for an interview.
Instead she released a statement in which she condemned “misleading publicity about one motorist who has been let off his fine.”
However, the statement added: “It is difficult to see why many drivers are still ignoring the traffic rules [on the bridge]. Clearly drivers would not deliberately jump red traffic lights or drive the wrong way down one-way streets.”
However, she concluded: “The signs...are more than adequate.”
As the newspaper went to press yesterday (Wednesday), a spokeswoman for the council, Peta Stoddart-Crompton, said that the council had nothing to add.
Shadow portfolio holder Keith Woodhams has tabled a question for Mrs Bale at a forthcoming meeting of the executive committee, asking: “Can Mrs Bale tell me if she will heed the Traffic Penalty Tribunal’s findings and correct the signage on the approach to Park Way bridge, or ignore the advice?”
He said: “The Conservative administration certainly does not like being criticised, so they should wake up and get a grip of the situation – a review at last of why have they left it so long. Perhaps they thought the motorist would simply cough up and keep quiet.
“If the leader of council fails to respond to the tribunals findings and make changes to the signage, I personally think he may risk bringing the council into disrepute.”
The council has rejected repeated claims that Park Way bridge warning signs are inadequate and designed as a revenue generator.
Within the first year alone – from November 2011 when it became a bus, taxi and bicycle lane – 6,080 motorists were fined for driving over it, equating to £170,000 in revenue for council coffers.
An additional, 3,900 people had been fined for driving in the bus lane – in either direction – since November 2012.
In February 2012, the council was forced to cancel a number of fines after it emerged that the signage had not been properly illuminated after dark.
Last September, a Freedom on Information request by the NWN revealed that the council wrongly issued 152 parking fines due to inadequate signage in Kings Road, Newbury.