Driver in car share lane row

Mar 20 2008 By James Cartledge

POLICE monitoring Birmingham's controversial car share lanes were today urged: "Go and catch real criminals instead."

The plea was made by a driver who could subject the city's car sharing experiment to its first legal test after being hit with a £60 fine.

Kevin Rafferty insisted he had not broken the rules by driving alone in a zone for cars carrying passengers on Heartlands Spine Road.

The 43-year-old vowed not to pay up and said he would do whatever it took to prove his innocence.

"I'm not paying for something I didn't do," Mr Rafferty said. "I'm going to appeal it.

"The police are acting cynically and just trying to catch people out."

Birmingham's car share lanes are on trial for a year.

They are among the country's first and could be the blueprint for a national expansion as councils explore ways of clearing traffic-clogged roads.

But some drivers have condemned the initiative as a waste of police resources as officers are required to monitor the lanes.

Green campaigners have also attacked the scheme for not being tough enough as it only operates from 7am until 10am on weekdays.

Mr Rafferty, from New Arley, Nuneaton, was handed a ticket as he drove to packaging manufacturer Smurfit Kappa's Nechells base, where he works as an IT technician.

Wanting to turn left at a roundabout, he pulled into the left hand lane where the car share zone had been operating.

But Mr Rafferty said he only made the manoeuvre after the zone ended.

"I'm very well aware of the car sharing enforcement and I only moved into the lane as I approached the island," he said.

"The officer gave me a ticket and said I could take it to court if I had a problem.

"Why are police wasting their time with this when they should be out catching criminals?"

Another victim of the fixed penalty team was 41-year-old James Francis, from Balsall Common, who said: "I was in the lane for around five seconds.

"I've never had a ticket for any driving offence in 20 plus years, but I've paid because it's pointless arguing the case."

West Midlands Police confirmed officers were "supporting" the car share project, being led by Birmingham City Council.

"During the first few weeks, police and the council distributed advisory leaflets and motorists were stopped and advised about the scheme," a spokesman said. "Police are now issuing fixed penalty tickets."