September 1st 2024.
Aftab Mahboob had to go through a frustrating and lengthy process to finally get his £145 fine overturned. The reason behind this fine? He had driven on a bus lane in order to park on his driveway, which happened to be next to a bus stop. This is a common issue for residents in Romford, who have also received fines for parking on their own driveways.
In fact, the situation has become so dire that even a terminally ill woman had to walk to a carpark for a lift to the hospital for her cancer treatment. Sadly, she has since passed away. Aftab Mahboob, who has been fighting this issue for a year now, shared that he had to go through five attempts before successfully appealing the fine. He emphasized the inhumanity of this situation and how it has affected many residents in the area.
The main problem lies with the fact that in order to access his driveway, Aftab has to drive on a bus lane. This, in turn, leads to the fines being issued. It's a vicious cycle that has caused a lot of frustration and wasted time for Aftab and his neighbors. Just when he thought he had finally won the battle, the fine had escalated to a whopping £145.
Aftab expressed his frustration, saying, "It was a year of my life. It's the inhuman side that I'm really bothered about. It's a big deal. There are a few of us who get the tickets." He also mentioned that it's crucial to sort this issue out because otherwise, they would continue to receive parking tickets every time they parked on their own driveways.
He explained, "I turn into my drive 30 metres from where I started to pull in." It may seem like a small distance, but it's enough to trigger the bus lane cameras and issue fines. Aftab also shared how the council has been less than helpful in this matter. He said, "Havering Council were nothing but aggressive. They kept sending me letters asking if I knew about the Highway Code. It felt patronising."
It's worth noting that Aftab's house is just one door down from the bus stop. And as it turns out, he was allowed to park in this manner all along. When the fine was finally overturned, parking adjudicator John Lane stated, "The appellant stated that he was gaining access to his house or the entrance next to it that he rents. The local authority's Traffic Management Order creates an exemption to do so."
The blame for this situation falls on a "difference of opinion" between one of the council's officers and Mr. Lane. A spokesperson for Havering Council stated, "Our officer had to make a judgement as to what was a reasonable length of bus lane to use. The adjudicator has ruled in favor of the resident and the council respects this outcome."
However, this doesn't change the fact that Mr. Mahboob and his neighbors have been treated unfairly and immorally by the council. Aftab strongly believes that the council owes them an apology for the way they have been treated. He said, "This is really wrong. I got a fine for parking on my own drive. I've lived here 16 years but the camera has just been put up."
He also shared that his father is a bus driver, and he has the utmost respect for them. He believes that everyone just wants to get by, but this issue has become nothing but a money-making scheme. Aftab explained, "We are law-abiding citizens and that camera is deliberately put there; it's perfectly placed and people don't have the time to fight the fines."
He also mentioned that people are probably just paying the fines because they are scared of the repercussions. Aftab himself found it hard to take the time out of his busy schedule to fight the fines. He said, "Every time I wrote a letter, it took me a week to write because I was working in the day. People don't have that time, and the council knows that."
Aftab also shared the story of his 84-year-old neighbor's sister, who received a fine from the same camera. She was too scared to get another fine, so she started parking in a nearby carpark and had to walk to her sister's car for her cancer treatment. He said, "You should be able to pick up a frail old woman. When you're old and in chemotherapy, you shouldn't have to do that."
Unfortunately, this issue caused a lot of distress for the terminally ill woman, who had to spend the last six months of her life walking to the car instead of getting picked up outside her home. Aftab also shared that his neighbor, who is an NHS dentist, also received a fine for the same reason. He believes that both of their fines were for driving in the bus lane.
Aftab further expressed his disbelief and disgust towards the council, saying, "There are people doing 90mph on the same road, but they're bothered about us parking on my own driveway." He added, "I've heard nothing back from the council. Not even a 'Sorry for your time'. They don't really care. I find it quite disgusting, to be honest. It's quite immoral."
A spokesperson for the council defended their actions, saying, "The Council always looks to carry out any parking and traffic enforcement in a fair and balanced way. This is to help our roads be as safe as possible to use and to keep traffic moving. Enforcement acts as a deterrent to those whose actions could be dangerous or illegal."
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