Paying fixed penalty notices

Signage is not ordinarily needed for making cycling on footways an offence - The default is that it is not permitted.

The £50 goes to the courts service, not to the police, by the way.

If you'd cycled through Kingston on a regular basis You'll know the cycle infrastructure is confused at best, with lots of stop-start lanes in various locations and of different types. For example, just to the right of where I was stopped, on castle street, is a cycle lane that is not painted and blends in with pavement, which looks incredibly similar to the dropped-kerb lead up road onto Clarence street, where I was stopped.

It would be nice to ride down Clarence Street when it's quiet, but I can't see it being allowed when it's heaving with peds on a Saturday...

I only every rode along there ion weekday mornings, when it was quiet. That whole section reminds me of Birmingham city centre, which** is **shared use but you wouldn't want to ride down there when it's busy.

Like I said before, I accept the fine but suddenly jumping on people for safely using what has become a de facto cycle lane and has previously been completely unenforced seems little more than money grabbing opportunism.

It's nothing to do with safety, which is distasteful considering operation Safeway was set up in the wake of a spate of cyclist deaths.

That is what I take issue with.

Yes, operation safeway is ridiculous and inappropriate.

And the cycling infrastructure in Kingston may be confusing. It is confusing and crap all across London, often not fit for purpose, and often worse for the cyclist than no infrastructure at all. But you cycle through it on a regular basis...

The default is still that cycling on footways is an offence, unless the footway has been designated a shared use path, for which the signage should be compliant and visible. .

Yes, operation safeway is ridiculous and inappropriate.

And the cycling infrastructure in Kingston may be confusing. But you cycle through it on a regular basis...

That's why he's confused. :)

Petition the council to change it from a de facto cycle lane to an actual shared use path?
Won't get you out of this FPN, but may well help everyone down the line.

The email address to contact in regard to Clarence Road is this;
Kingston@lcc.org.uk
environment@rbk.kingston.gov.uk

The default is still that cycling on footways is an offence, unless the footway has been designated a shared use path, for which the signage should be compliant and visible. .

only for footpaths adjacent to a road, that is why the extra sign is required as part of a local bye law or such to prevent cycling in that area.

Footways and footpaths are different things (although you could be forgiven for thinking that common sense should have a place here :) ).

http://www.bikehub.co.uk/featured-articles/cycling-and-the-law/

1. Is it a footpath (or footway, rather)
   
   • what are the TROs for the road
     
2. Were you cycling
   
   
   

Clarence Road is not a footway, I got a respond;

Cycling is banned on Clarence Street between John Lewis and Castle Street, however Clarence Street is not a footway and therefore the police CANNOT, as far as I know, issue fixed penalties for cycling on a footway. It is a road that cyclists are banned from. The police have previously told the council that regular officers can't do enforcement and that only their traffic officers understand and know what to prosecute/ fine for.

Who is the response from?

The TROs will tell you if it's a road (and therefore the footpath a footway).

If it's not a footway, but a footpath not covered by the RTA, then any restriction would have to be covered by a specific byelaw, and appropriately signed.

It's a respond from the Kingston Cycling Campaign whom are aware of the issues (and have been battling the council about Clarence Street).

Ah the footway/footpath/"side of the road" thing.

In that case please ignore my post in the other thread since it may well not apply. If the fact is this area is not a legal footway and hence requires a specific prohibition, then challenge away, cos that sign is shit.

It's a respond from the Kingston Cycling Campaign whom are aware of the issues (and have been battling the council about Clarence Street).

Do they have details of the applicable byelaw? Any idea what they think about the (apparent) lack of appropriate signage?

He did pointed out that there are signs on lamp columns warning of a £500 fine for cycling (as well as signage to point out that it's a "No Vehicles" road).

There may be a case for the signs being too small / not obivous enough - I've no idea what standards signs for byelaws must be though.

It wasn't obvious enough if I haven't notice them, but then I'm blind as a bat (not an excuse in the eyes of the law of course).

Not going to find out now that there's a risk of getting fined.

If he's got a FPN for the wrong thing then it can be challenged right? Would the courts then do him for the greater offence using the by-law or just chuck it out?

The Court can only charge for the offence presented to them surely?

I'll email my mum, she was a Magistrate.

If so then it seems like an easy out.

Courts are only there to decide over the case presented not to add more.

Judge Dredd thread >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

He did pointed out that there are signs on lamp columns warning of a £500 fine for cycling (as well as signage to point out that it's a "No Vehicles" road).

I'm yet to see these anywhere in kingston

I got an FPN for an RLJ during the Great Police Presence of 2013.

Basically it has the wrong name (right surname, DOB + address) and also the wrong offence code (501 instead of a 509). I haven't heard from them since then (the 27th November).

Anyone had any similar experience. I know I should probably make the phonecall, but I would just like to see if anyone else has any better ideas.

I got a ticket for riding literally 5m on a deserted pavement. tried to fight it and the fine increased from £25 tpo £75. Just paid it in the end, too much hassle. I do hate the way the police have responded to recent cyclist deaths by issuing more tickets... That is NOT going to solve the problem. it's just so they can say they're doing something. Even the police I've spoken to issuing the tickets think it's a load of rubbish...

I got an FPN for an RLJ during the Great Police Presence of 2013.

Basically it has the wrong name (right surname, DOB + address) and also the wrong offence code (501 instead of a 509). I haven't heard from them since then (the 27th November).

Anyone had any similar experience. I know I should probably make the phonecall, but I would just like to see if anyone else has any better ideas.

I got a FPN last year for dropping a cigarette butt on the pavement (I argued because the 'street' suddenly turned into a covered no smoking area, with no ashtrays at the entrance I didn't really have a choice but meh). Thought I'd gotten away with it but got a letter a couple of month later saying pay now or court, so I did. Maybe wait until then?

Dont pay 'em. I got one once, was £30. I blanked it to see what would happen. eventually i got a letter on xmas eve. I owed them £125 now. left it and few months later got another letter threatening me with arrest and they 're watching the border n all this shite. blanked it. finally they passed it onto bailiffs and it rose to £455.
So when the bailiff came a-knocking, I asked them to prove that that was me on the letter then told them you get off my property. havent seen them since..
I dont condone this action as it was my personal experiment, now i just write to the courts using common law.
personally if there isnt a victim there isnt a crime.Like any corporation(police) they need to make an income.

^^^ What's the difference between 501 & 509? If it's a completely different law that you could prove you definitely didn't break I'd think it's worth querying it...