Call to scrap 'immoral' CCTV cameras on Southampton bus lane

May 24, 2023

A DEFIANT Eastleigh business owner says he is not afraid to go to court over "immoral" bus lane fines handed out by the council.

Kevin May, who owns K&K Hire, a disabled school transport company, successfully appealed at least two penalties issued by Southampton City Council to his drivers for partially crossing over the bus lane in Shirley Road last year.

Off the back of his victory, the 62-year-old from Eastleigh wants the bus lane cameras here to be scrapped.

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He said: "I'm not afraid to go to court to fight this.

"It's immoral for the camera to be there, it should have been shut down when they built the crossing.

"It seems they’re doing this to trap drivers using this road into paying the fine."

Shirley highstreet with an inset of of the CCTV image of the alleged offence on 27 July 2022 (Image: Newsquest)

The incidents his drivers were fined for happened on July 25 and August 6. In both cases, they crossed over the central line after the solid bus lane line turned into lines approaching the pelican crossing.

The council tried to fine Kevin £70 for each incident, claiming they had driven in the bus lane - but on October 13 last year, he appealed both fines and on 14 November the Traffic Penalty Tribunal found in his favour.

In their decision, the adjudicator said: "I find that on each occasion there was a minor encroachment into the bus lane but not in a way that can be said to amount to a contravention.

"The encroachment takes place where the solid white bus lane line becomes white crossing lines. No buses are impeded and the vehicles look set to return fully to the correct carriageway after the crossing."

Bus lane cameras on Shirley Road (Image: Newsquest)

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Kevin said that sometimes it was necessary to move across to avoid other drivers: "If you’re crossing the pelican crossing you tend to move more to the left but then you get done by the camera.

"Especially if there's a van coming into the main road or a bus coming then drivers will move a bit to the left and then get caught by the camera." He also claimed to successfully appeal a fine at the same spot on 4 June and that a fine for an 8 March incident at the crossing was cancelled on 25 April this year.

A spokesperson for Southampton City Council said: "The Council does not discuss Penalty Charge Notice cases with 3rd parties.

"Anyone who has received a Penalty Charge Notice is able to submit an appeal as per the standard process."

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