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proceduralUK · Northern IrelandDifficulty: medium

Bus lane PCN — Northern Ireland procedural fault

In Northern Ireland, bus lane camera enforcement has strict rules. The Department for Infrastructure must keep its cameras properly certified, the penalty charge notice (PCN) must contain all required information, and any vehicles allowed in the bus lane — such as taxis, cycles, or electric vehicles where the signs permit them — must be correctly excluded from enforcement. If any of these rules were not followed, your PCN may be invalid.

Legal basis

Traffic Management (Northern Ireland) Order 2005 (SI 2005/1964 (N.I. 14)) — civil penalty charge enforcement, including bus-lane contraventions; The Penalty Charges (Prescribed Amounts) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 (SR 2006/338); appeal and adjudication procedure under the Traffic Management (Proceedings before Adjudicators) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 (SR 2006/421)

How to identify this in your case

Request device certification, the bus-lane TRO and any permitted-vehicle list. Check time of contravention against the operational hours signed.

Sample appeal wording

Dear Sir/Madam, Re: Bus Lane PCN [PCN_NUMBER] I challenge this PCN on the following grounds: 1. Please supply the type-approval certification for the camera and the most recent calibration record. 2. Please supply the TRO designating the bus lane and confirming its operational hours. I assert that the operational hours signed at the location were not in force at [TIME] of [DATE]. 3. [If applicable] My vehicle is a permitted user under the bus-lane order (taxi licence number / electric vehicle permit / cyclist). Failing satisfactory evidence the PCN must be cancelled. Yours faithfully, [NAME]

Replace [PARKING DATE], [NtK DATE] etc. with your own dates before sending.

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Sources

  • legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2007/350
  • legislation.gov.uk/nisi/2005/1964

Related appeal grounds

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