I wish you the best of luck with it. We went through the same thing when the wife was pinged driving to Auck Hospital. One question: were there bus lane markings on the road surface?
FFS, and do you need to be told how to open your eyes as well each day or do you walk around in circles waiting for someone to say something? As if you need to be told that ignoring road signs will get you a fine.
Best be sure to only buy mattresses from now on that have a little label telling you to not try to eat it.
https://www.sunlive.co.nz/news/252322-hairini-bus-lane-bugbear-residents.html If the Hairini bus lane is so dangerous for non-buses to use, shouldn't there be a barrier arm across the busway ( like at the Port that prevents non-port associated public motorists driving into the working part of the port?) that physically prevents non-buses accessing the bus way?
The whole of the Bay of Plenty has some fairly inconsistent road signage. The single speed advisory sign at the apex of a slow corner to cover both directions, is common, often the slow corner comes after a fast straight section of road. Road signs obscured by vegetation etc. A good one is a 100 km/h sign posted just before a roundabout so there is the cost saving of not having 3 separate 100 km/h signs for the 3 roads after the roundabout.
mrcat1,
Dec 27, 5:54am
I understood there was no legal right to stop cars let alone give them a ticket for using that bus lane, unless they have changed the by law recently.
marte,
Dec 27, 5:58am
Get the Council plan for the lane markings & where the signs are ( supposed to be ) In my case, they acknowledge there's a problem, prove that they know it's wrong, provide details on how they intend to fix it, refuse to wipe the ticket & two weeks after it's paid, they fix it. ( X3)
stevo2,
Dec 27, 6:12am
Yes they changed it and started the fines soon afterwards
In our case, Auckland City Council bylaw was that as long as there were lane markings it was deemed that motorists were deemed to have sufficient warning of approaching bus lane and any signposts were supplemental. My solicitor who is a family member advised our position was untenable as we could not argue that we were not using the bus lane, nor could we argue there was no warning. We paid the fine and moved on. Good luck to you.
john1623,
Dec 27, 6:38am
Those signs are totally inadequate. The no exit sign could mean you were turning into a dead end street,and the bus lane sign is far to small.
smallwoods,
Dec 27, 7:14am
Do everything in writing (emails count). Doesn't matter if they don't reply, better actually. Keep tab/records of correspondence. Third letter to infringements should state you are taking it to disputes/court. Disputes will do if they say you still owe it. While disputed no additional costs can be added by the council, only the court (if you lose) I had one in Nov 2011 for a $30 speeding fine in a restricted zone (school) There were no signs. JP said that he found I had still sped. I mistakenly missed the appeal timeframe, 28 days. They sent me all sorts of warnings and threats, including at the border. Finally this year I got the "turn up to court or be arrested" that we had been waiting for (my only way of getting it back to court) Judge threw it out. Signs went up in 2012.
mrcat1,
Dec 27, 8:12am
Ok, thanks, good to know.
intrade,
Dec 27, 8:59pm
You need to contact fair go i am sure they be interested . guess they need material. #30 exact example what and why you would call it gungster thug country. There will be more and more of this. switzerland is 99% only like this. germany is only 50% as bad as switzerland and new zealand is about at 30 to 40% and rising . on the gungster thug scale.
gamefisher,
Dec 27, 10:34pm
The punishment doesn't fit the crime $150 is money grabbing exercise as it is only $30 for up to 10km/h over the speed limit
kazbanz,
Dec 28, 2:04am
nzoomed. heres the rub dude. IF it goes to court as a defended hearing the problem is that it will cost you a fair bit of coin in parking costs, lost income etc so even if you win you are on a hiding to nothing defending it . That's what they are counting on. you don't get your costs back even if you do win.
hotelcarpet,
Dec 28, 3:22am
Take photo's of the whole street, unfinished roads, missing damaged signs. A video is better but you need some way of playing it on the day. I got a ticket for helping a broken car in a bus lane on Queen St. I won because of the parking wardens lack of confidence and he never had the video footage of the alleged offence. Waiting for court day! that's the worst & you can wait up to 6 months for one - which is an abuse from the court system in my opinion.
3tomany,
Dec 29, 7:27pm
Keep annoying the council to the very end. It will cost you nothing but time however they pay their staff every time you cost them time. Best case you will get off, worst case you will have the satisfaction it cost them more than they made.
brouser3,
Dec 29, 7:42pm
No excuse. When you saw the start of the bus lane (which I think are a vivid green) you should of stopped and then taken the appropriate action eg reversed up, turned around etc. Your 'not seeing a sign' at the start of the street is irrelevent. If instead of a bus lane marking, it had been a young child, would you of continued on your path? I suspect not, but would of braked heavily and hoped to that guy in the sky you stopped in time.
martin11,
Dec 29, 7:48pm
Guy in Auckland tried fighting a fine and it ended up costing him over 30 times the ticket cost . He fought it all the way but still had to pay up .
pauldw,
Dec 29, 8:37pm
Unless they've added green marking since the Google streetview was taken the sign at the start is very relevant (and small). Leading up to the left turn off 29a there doesn't seem to be any warning that Hairini is a buses only street. The small buses only sign is too wordy and poorly placed after an overgrown Ivy? hedge. There is plenty of room for a much bigger sign if the intention is to stop other vehicles. You do get the impression that at the moment they are happy collecting the fines.
3tomany,
Dec 29, 8:43pm
I would not take it to court for just that reason.
spead,
Jan 1, 1:37am
correct. If you did go to court and lose then you would be up for addtional costs of $130 court costs. I suggest accept your mistake and pay up.
differentthings,
Jan 1, 2:10am
Yes there is a big sign painted on the road saying bus lane only.
differentthings,
Dec 26, 9:54pm
Come down for a visit and check it iut for yourself. I know the street well lol.
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