A MOTORIST was fined after pulling into a bus lane - to let an ambulance on a 999 call get past.
Khalid Mahmood moved into the bus lane on Cheetham Hill Road, Manchester, to let the ambulance use the wrong side of the road and get round a queue of traffic.
But eight days later he received a £60 fine from Manchester Council saying he had driven his Citreon Xara illegally in the bus lane.
A CCTV picture of the incident sent to him by the council shows three other cars using the bus lane and the back of the ambulance.
Father-of-two Mr Mahmood, from Crumpsall, who says he has a clean driving licence and is training to become a driving instructor, said he was appalled that the council was trying to make money out of the situation.
Businessman Mr Mahmood, 45, said: "It just takes a bit of commonsense. Surely they can see from the image that they have recorded that there is an ambulance but they've been unscrupulous and thought we've caught them using the lane so we'll make them pay up.
"I imagine all the other drivers in the picture have been hit too.
"The ambulance was using its lights and the sirens were going."
Mr Mahmood received the fine on Tuesday morning.
It says that he used the lane at 5.10pm on July 14 near the police station on Cheetham Hill Road.
The driver of 28 years said he uses the route almost every day and is fully aware of the bus lane restrictions which he has never contravened on purpose.
He was told to pay a £60 fine which could be reduced to £30 if he pays within two weeks.
When he called the council to question it he claims he was told that they had the evidence and he had to pay.
He added: "Surely it would be more of an offence not to move out of the way for an ambulance.
Shameful
"What am I supposed to do next time, just stay put? I've taken the first two parts of my driving instructor test. I pride myself on my driving skills and I think it is shameful to make money out of this situation."
But when the M.E.N contacted the council they decided to withdraw the fine.
A Manchester council spokesman said: "After examining the footage of the incident in detail we have decided to withdraw the fine against Mr Mahmood, and apologise for any inconvenience this has caused him."
He said that any other motorists who were fined for trying to let the ambulance past should contact 9549000 or email buslanes@manchester.gov.uk
The Highway Code states that drivers should not break the law to assist emergency vehicles.
It says that motorists should comply with traffic signs and if necessary pull to the side of the road and stop.
A spokeswoman for the North West Ambulance Service said: "Emergency vehicle drivers are specially trained and have exemptions to the law that the general public don't have.
"The North West Ambulance Service encourages the public to try and remove themselves carefully from the path of the emergency vehicle, taking care to note what other drivers around them are doing, making sure the path they take is a safe one, always adhering to rules in the Highway Code."
Fined for getting out of the way
July 25, 2008
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Showing comments 1 to 25 and replies | View All
joaquin wonov, manchester (26/07/2008 at 08:00)
AUTOMATED FINE SENT OUT UNTIL COUNCIL RECEIVES EXPLANATION, THEN WITHDRAWN.
anyway, you got your name in the paper eh! Mr Mahmood
manchester of course, salford (26/07/2008 at 08:09)
rammylad, ramsbottom (26/07/2008 at 08:24)
THis council and their obsession with ripping off the motorist is going to cost lives and will leave some people without their weekly shopping budget, just through greed and lack of common sense.
Nobody wants the bus lanes except the council and bus drivers, yet it is the motorist who is being penalised for using common sense.
I imagine this image was taken from that little smart car with a camera on its roof, so there was a person inside who at the time could have made a note to scrub the fines and not cause anyone any hardship and heartache, but no, this is the MCC money machine we are talking about here.
salty12, blackley (26/07/2008 at 08:33)
Kalamity Karney [AKA Scrotnig], Gorton (26/07/2008 at 08:58)
After all, if people die because the ambulance is late, Cllr Sir Leese will be happy because nobody went in one of their wretched bus lanes.
The families of the dead could even write to Cllr Sir Leese and thank him!
Mike, Manchester (26/07/2008 at 08:58)
A. Coates, manchester (26/07/2008 at 09:04)
the driver broke the law, so the fine should stand.
EricH, Horwich (26/07/2008 at 09:08)
PW - Dole for Labourites!, Manchester (26/07/2008 at 09:19)
ace, manchester (26/07/2008 at 09:30)
MC Spanner (26/07/2008 at 09:37)
The place is permanently double parked and is a major congestion cause. It should be red routed for rush hour
Steptoe Harold Albert kitchener, Germany (26/07/2008 at 09:38)
Tonya786, Saddleworth (26/07/2008 at 09:46)
J Sheldon, UK (26/07/2008 at 10:57)
This is yet another warning that making money from traffic infringements is more important than life or death. The Driver was fortunate on this occasion when MEN became involved.
The lesson is never break any traffic law, however small, to allow emergency vehicles to pass.
Then you will only able for some sort of obstruction offence. But as some sort of effort is needed and without a cash camera, chances of prosecution are small.
I know it goes against the Drivers instinct but while Councils fully backed up by this government who just want easy money, what choice is there? CONgestion Tax anyone?
Manchester Dale, Manchester (26/07/2008 at 11:29)
Also the article is very informative. Most drivers will pull away from a red light or pull over to let emergency service vehicles pass. I now know that I shouldn't do it under any circumstances.
Tameside Blue, Tameside (26/07/2008 at 12:26)
Tonya786, Saddleworth (26/07/2008 at 12:40)
StevoDevo, Bolton (26/07/2008 at 12:44)
rammylad, ramsbottom (26/07/2008 at 13:11)
Friday at 3pm (pre c-tax) was a nightmare this week, not just double parked but triple parked, the whole road was blocked. Idiots, where are the cameras and traffic cops when you need them. Cheetham hill is the only slight bottle neck on my journey but it is only the illegal parkers and bus lanes that are the problem, the volume of traffic is actaully quite low.
I also tried to have this comment added to the MEN 'congestion' map but to no avail.
Munkey Boy (26/07/2008 at 13:13)
I don't understand why this is a story?
ebble (26/07/2008 at 13:37)
I suggested they took a minute to actually look at the photos they'd sent me. Even then it took a while for them to drop the fine and they did it with rudeness and arrogance. They treated me as if I was the cause of all the fuss. There is no excuse for rudeness and official letters threatening legal action and fines of up to £5000 just because they are too lazy to check their own photgraphs.
Grief Tourist, Tameside (26/07/2008 at 13:42)
Buzz, Moston (26/07/2008 at 14:16)
But, if this had been a police car and not an ambulance and the driver had not moved out of the way, would he have been prosecuted for an offence of obstructing a police officer ? I believe that is an offence.
PW - Dole for Labourites!, Manchester (26/07/2008 at 15:17)
There is a simple answer. You vote the nazi buffoons out. Listen out Councillors, because the electorate have already smelt your blood. People are sick of you. Do you hear? Do you understand?
No? Good.
Michael A.Sorfleet. (26/07/2008 at 16:36)
silvervectra