A BRADFORD man has hit out at the Council over the placement of a bus lane sign after receiving five penalty charge notices.

Mohammed Sajad, of Buttershaw, was travelling from Wakefield Road and turning off on Bridge Street into Bradford city centre.

On his journey on December 17, he noticed a Bus Lane Suspended sign from Croft Street indicating that the bus lane on Bridge Street was suspended.

So Mr Sajad said he used the bus lane believing the whole lane was suspended.

With the sign in place and a regular driver into the city centre, Mr Sajad had also used the bus lane at other times.

Then he was surprised when he received a penalty charge notice from Bradford Council for £70, a fine that is halved to £35 if the charge is paid within 21 days.

“They sent me a penalty charge notice, I thought to myself ‘why have they even sent this?’

“The bus lane suspended sign is quite clear. If the sign says the bus lane is suspended, then it should be suspended.

“I’ve got proof. I have taken a picture of the sign saying that the bus lane is suspended.

Mr Sajaad contacted the T&A when he received a second penalty charge, and he has since received three more penalty notices.

“I initially appealed just the first fine and left the second one deliberately, and now I’ve had three others. So I’ve appealed them all.

“It’s essential that I let people know about this because I don’t want anyone else to get fined.

A Bradford Council spokesperson said: “We’ve looked into this for Mr Sajaad and the fines were issued correctly as in this case, the sign only applied to a short section at the top of Bridge Street.

“Drivers should be aware that the yellow and black advisory signs such as this are only valid until the driver reaches the next permanent road sign.”

Mr Sajaad added: “For me, a bus lane suspended sign means the bus lane is suspended. Their reasoning is not clear cut.

“The bus lane runs all the way down Bridge Street and ends before you get to Sunbridge Road.

“I thought that it meant the whole lane was suspended.

“They shouldn’t have put the sign up in the first place.

“If they’re going to reject it, they’re going to reject it. 

“If my appeals aren’t successful, I’ll take it to the adjudicator and hopefully they will listen.”