- Hundreds of drivers have been incorrectly fined by Roads and Maritime Services
- Cars were told to drive in the bus lane due to roadworks on the Harbour Bridge
- They were then sent infringements notices, fined and docked a demerit point
- RMS has apologised and advised that fines and demerit point will be reversed
Cars were directed into bus lanes because of roadworks on the Harbour Bridge on July 5&6
Hundreds of drivers have been ‘incorrectly fined’ by Roads and Maritime Services for driving in a bus lane after they were specifically instructed to do so.
On the nights of July 4 and 5, roadworks on the Harbour Bridge prompted safety personnel to direct motorists into the bus lane for the safety of the workers.
The owners of those cars were then sent infringements notice explaining that a traffic camera snapped a photo of their vehicle ‘illegally driving in the bus lane’.
Driving in a bus lane incurs a $319 fine and docks one demerit point off a full license.
Luckily, Roads and Maritime Services confirmed to ABC that the fines in question had been mistakenly issued.
Driving in a bus lane incurs a $319 fine and docks one demerit point off a full driver’s license
The issue was brought to the attention of RMS by a Newcastle man, who said that the fine struck him as odd because he so rarely drove over the Harbour Bridge.
The issue was brought to the attention of RMS by a Newcastle man, who said that the fine struck him as odd because he so rarely drove over the Harbour Bridge.
‘I thought, hang on, this doesn’t sound like something I’d do,’ Paul Gill said, adding that he remembered the road works on the night in question.
A Newcastle man brought incorrectly-issued fines to the attention of the Roads and Maratime
RMS has since advised that the fines will be dismissed and the demerit points will be reversed
‘In the photo you can see the car I’m driving and you can see a train of about a dozen taillights in the same lane ahead of me.’
He was told that neither RMS nor the State Debt Recovery Office examined fines unless a specific review was lodged.
Mr Gill said that he had sympathy for those who did not lodge a review and would not be compensated.
RMS has since advised that the fines will be dismissed and the demerit points reversed and issued an apology.
‘Roads and Maritime Services works closely with the Transport Management Centre to inform motorists of changed road conditions while using community feedback to identify errors and minimise the instances of fines being issued incorrectly.
Roads and Maritime Services has apologised to the recipients of wrongly-issued fines in July