A local council in South London is set to reimburse approximately £485,000 to drivers due to an administrative mistake that led to the incorrect issuance of certain bus lane penalty notices.
Southwark Council, which issued more than 10,000 penalty charge notices between February and June, has committed to refunding all motorists affected by this error and has declared that any outstanding notices will be voided.
The Labour-led council acknowledged the situation, stating, “We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this has caused.”
In response, Liberal Democrat councillors criticized the incident as “yet another instance of mishandling by a council that struggles with basic operations.”
Councillor James McAsh, Southwark’s cabinet member responsible for clean air, streets, and waste management, explained: “We have examined all other notices and found no additional problems.”
He further noted, “We are enhancing our oversight with contractors to prevent recurrence. The council will recuperate the entire refund costs from these contractors.”
The council had issued 10,422 penalty charge notices to individuals captured by CCTV while driving in bus lanes; however, the notices referenced incorrect legislation.
The council affirmed, “All affected motorists will be refunded, with reimbursements automatically applied to their accounts within the upcoming month.”
Earlier this year, the AA reported that numerous drivers throughout London had been paying invalid penalty charge notices (PCNs) due to erroneous enforcement and restriction cameras, which were either relying on expired Traffic Management Orders or lacked up-to-date certification.
An analysis by the AA, utilizing external data from London Councils, revealed that 56% of appeals against bus lane penalties last year were either upheld or not contested, while the success rate for moving traffic violations, such as improperly stopping in a yellow box, was 35%.
In total, nearly 7,300 appeals were successful. However, many drivers who received these PCNs paid the fines within the 14-day window to benefit from the 50% discount for early payment, according to the AA.
