Driver’s fury after police redirect him down a bus lane following lorry crash – only for council to FINE him £30
- Driver says police redirected him down a bus lane to avoid a lorry crash scene
- John Rayner, 54, was hit with a £30 fixed penalty notice in Swindon, Wiltshire
- A lorry became stuck after colliding with a bridge on a main road into the town
An outraged driver claims police redirected him down a notorious bus lane after he was fined.
John Rayner, 54, was slapped with a £30 fixed penalty notice after travelling through the bus lane in Swindon, Wiltshire, with ‘four or five’ other cars.
A lorry became stuck tilted on two wheels after colliding with a bridge on a main road into the town on the morning of Saturday, January 5 – and took three hours to remove.
John Rayner, 54, hit back after being fined £30 for using a notorious bus lane to avoid a lorry crash despite being redirected down the route – by police
But relieved motorists were redirected down the alternative route – passing through a lane which netted £1.5 million from 51,180 fines between October 2014 and May 2017.
John, who was going to pick up some friends to play golf, said: ‘I just followed everyone else through – there must have been four or five cars in front of me.
‘We couldn’t turn round because there was traffic behind us, and we couldn’t go forward because the road was inaccessible and they diverted us.
‘I’d never been up that road in my life, I hadn’t a clue where I was going.
Relieved motorists were redirected down the alternative route – passing through a lane which netted £1.5 million from 51,180 fines between October 2014 and May 2017
‘I thought they could have turned the cameras off for the odd couple of hours that the road was closed.
‘I am aggrieved because I had no intention of going down there – I was just following the other cars.
‘It seems to be a bit of cash cow.’
The number of drivers caught out by the bus lane in Penzance Drive increased in 2017.
In total, 20,673 were issued with fines, accruing at least £600,000 for Swindon Borough Council if every driver paid the minimum £30 fine.
A Swindon Borough Council spokesperson said: ‘If motorists can provide evidence that they were advised by the police to use the bus gate as part of the diversion route then we could cancel the penalty charge notice as per our cancellation guidance.’
![A lorry became stuck tilted on two wheels after colliding with a bridge on a main road into the town on the morning of Saturday, January 5 - and took three hours to remove [File photo]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/01/21/17/8803178-6616337-A_lorry_became_stuck_tilted_on_two_wheels_after_colliding_with_a-m-4_1548093084166.jpg)
A lorry became stuck tilted on two wheels after colliding with a bridge on a main road into the town on the morning of Saturday, January 5 – and took three hours to remove [File photo]