Bus gate on Arundel Gate, Sheffield: Man 'will never visit Sheffield again' after controversial bus gate fine

Zachary Dean, from Scotland, has been a frequent visitor to Sheffield for several years and briefly studied at the city.

He has come to think of the city as his ‘second home’, however, since the incident involving a bus gate fine, he has decided never to visit the city again. During his recent visit, he was meeting a relative who had suffered a heart attack.

“I was dumbfounded to receive the penalty charge notice,” Zachary said.

“I have always been cautious about adhering to traffic rules, and I was sure I had not ventured into a bus lane.

“I have been visiting Sheffield City Centre for years and am generally familiar with the roads that are restricted and those that are not. The sudden introduction of this 'bus gate' has caught me completely off guard.

“When I received the penalty charge notice, I immediately tried to view the alleged evidence online on the Sheffield City Council's website, but was met with an error stating that my PCN and car registration were not recognised.

“Even after contacting the council and obtaining an email address to pursue this matter, I felt a sense of injustice surrounding this penalty.

“A Yorkshire Post [article] resonated with my frustration, and I found that many others share my sentiments.

“What baffles me the most is the inconsistency in the signage and the penalty charge notice I received; the road signs indicate a 'bus gate' yet the penalty charge notice references a 'bus lane'.

“This inconsistency, combined with the lack of clear signage, has created a controversial situation, especially during a time when many are grappling with a financial crisis.

“Unfortunately, due to this experience, I have decided not to visit Sheffield in the future. For any necessary visits or family emergencies, I will arrange to meet relatives in neighbouring areas like Rotherham, Barnsley, or Chesterfield.”

As a disabled driver, Zachary feels the introduction of a bus gate makes it harder for people to access the city centre.

“I indeed have several health conditions that significantly affect my mobility. I often rely on crutches to move around,” he said.

“As a blue badge holder, I previously found it relatively easy to find parking in designated areas in the city.

“However, the introduction of the bus gate complicates access to certain parts of the city centre, especially for individuals like me who require mobility aids.

“It essentially restricts our ability to freely navigate the city, imposing challenges that weren't present before.

“It feels as though the needs and convenience of disabled drivers were not fully considered when implementing this change.

“I am sincerely hoping that Sheffield City Council will reconsider and revoke my PCN.”

Zachary, who runs a consultancy business, emailed the council parking services with a formal complaint over the fine he received.

In his email he wrote: “The signage needs to change from bus gate to bus lane as you have outlined on my parking charge notice as bus lane but the still images on the letter state bus gate.

“It seems this controversy is raking in tens of thousands of pounds for Sheffield City Council and those who have been stung include me. With a lack of clear signage, this new penalty is hurting the public especially during a cost-of-living crisis.

“Please can you review my parking charge notice and reverse this penalty. As outlined, there is no clear signage, it doesn’t indicate a bus lane.

“Like I mentioned before, I have been driving through the road many times over the years when visiting Sheffield, and this is the first time I have received this penalty. I have always observed any bus lanes or one-way systems but clearly Sheffield City Council recently introduced this new system to punish, and penalise disabled drivers and tourists like me.

“Finally, I’m appalled that I’m unable to view the ‘evidence’ online on your website. Each time I have entered my information it doesn’t seem to find my information.

“Maybe you need to read the anger the public are feeling due to this new controversy you have introduced.”

In response to the complaint, Coun Ben Miskell, chair of the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee, said: “Bus gates are an important way of ensuring that public transport is given priority over general traffic in busy cities to improve journey time reliability and reduce delay for bus users.

“They also assist in reducing pollution levels from traffic in highly polluted areas, improve road safety and more.

“The bus gate on Arundel Gate has been introduced to improve bus journey times and also reduce the harmful levels of pollution in this area of the city centre. To ensure the bus gate is evident to road users we have installed several signs notifying them of the bus gates and highlighting how to avoid them.

“On Arundel Gate in particular we have ensured road users can turn around in the Novotel Hotel entrance to avoid entering the bus gate. However, it is important that we listen to suggestions made and we are currently reviewing whether any further signage can be installed to provide even more guidance to road users.

“As a Council we have a duty to protect the current and future generations from the damaging health effects of pollution by creating a liveable and sustainable city for the future.”