Thousands of ‘school run’ parking fines could be void because of inadequate signage

A driving scheme which prohibits motorists from using roads outside 11 schools in Kent could be challenged for the £680,000 worth of fines it has imposed, after one penalty was overturned.

Medway Council’s School Streets initiative, which hits motorists for driving in designated roads in Kent at the start and the end of the school day, saw resident Chris Lee fined in September.

But the 56-year-old has now had his fine revoked after taking the council to a tribunal, which ruled in his favour on ‘signage grounds’.

The driving scheme, launched in March last year, prohibits motorists from using roads outside 11 schools between 8:15 and 9am and 2:45 and 3:45pm.

Since it was brought in, more than 25,000 Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) have been issued – making £678,690.

Since his tribunal over video call last month, Chris says he has seen lots of locals commenting on how they now wish they did the same rather than paying the fine. His result has brought into question whether all the fines could be void.

Chris, a carpet business owner, received his £35 fine for driving down Richmond Road in Gillingham, one morning in September. He immediately appealed to the council, having not spotted any signs telling him that he couldn’t access the road.

After this was rejected, he escalated the matter to a tribunal, which overturned the fine.

Chris said, ‘You literally blink, and you miss the signs. It was a total mystery to me. It is too wordy. The road I got caught in is pretty much a main road, and yet for two hours of the day, cars and motorbikes can’t go down there.’

Chris’s success in his tribunal has seen others begin to question their own fines, even as the council has said it successfully defends itself from other appeals.

A Medway Council spokesperson said: ‘We have successfully defended a number of appeals at this location, and this is the first in which an adjudicator has found against us on signage grounds.

‘While we will review the adjudicator’s decision, we remain satisfied that signage at this site is adequate and compliant with the relevant legal standards.

‘We will continue to review feedback, including comments on signage, to ensure the scheme operates effectively.’

Other citizens are trying to fight back against fines imposed by yellow boxes, with Sam Wright, 48, saying authorities are misleading some road users into thinking they’ve broken the law.

Sam has successfully got hundreds of fines overturned in the last 18 months alone. He told Metro: ‘At the moment a lot of drivers are being ripped off and it is a very unfair system.

‘A lot of people are getting tickets when they are not guilty. Authorities are misquoting the law to them in a way that makes them think they are.’

Yellow box junctions are designed to stop drivers blocking the meeting point when traffic ahead isn’t moving, but some supposed yellow box offenses appear ridiculous.

This includes a motorcyclist who had his wheel just centimeters over the yellow box and a car that was caught inside one for just seconds.

Both faced £160 fines in London, or reduced to £80 if paid within 14 days.

Sam got the authorities to backtrack on these fines, but only after they first rejected the appeals with ‘template letters’.

It took a further appeal to an adjudicator for the councils to pull out, but Sam says these tickets should never have been issued in the first place.

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