Taxi Driver Challenges Confusing Bus Lane Signage

A taxi driver has warned about confusing bus lane signs on the busy A4 Bath Road in Reading, between the Greggs drive-thru and the Aldi and Lidl stores.

Norman Bailey, 73, a hackney carriage driver from Wiltshire, was fined for driving into the westbound bus lane.

He pointed to a mismatch between the road markings and the overhead signs. He said: "The markings on the road seem to redesignate it for buses and cyclists only, but they haven't taken the signs down."

"The signs above clearly show buses, bikes and taxis are allowed," he added. "It is obvious I was driving a taxi as there is a 'taxi' rooflight on the car. I suspect the council redesignated it."

"The borough council is out of order. When I'm driving, I've got to concentrate on the traffic lights, being safe and making sure I'm in lane."

The Ford Galaxy he was using is owned by Gabriele Burns, and is registered as a taxi with Wiltshire Council.

Mr Bailey appealed the penalty charge notice and the PCN was cancelled on Friday, August 14, after he first spoke to reporters on Wednesday, August 12.

The council said: "In this case, the hackney carriage driver was from outside of Reading, and his vehicle was not on our exemption list. This resulted in him being issued with a penalty charge notice."

"When the driver appealed the PCN and provided his details, we were able to cancel the fine and add his vehicle registration to the exemption list to avoid this happening again," the spokesperson added.

"The blue road signs, rather than markings on the road, state which vehicles are legally allowed to use the bus lane, and they are correct on this section of the Bath Road. National regulations say that any new or repainted bus lanes may only have the words 'bus lane' written on the carriageway regardless of the vehicles allowed to use them. This section of bus lane has markings which predate the current legislation, which will be updated in the future."

James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporter