Council to pay back driving fines

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Sheffield City Council is thought to be facing a possible pay-out of more than £300,000 following the decision to give back the £30 drivers have been fined for driving through a restricted area in the Hillsborough area of the city.

The Hillsborough Bus and Tram Gate has operated for a number of years at Hillsborough Corner. It is designed to help the city's Supertrams and buses travel more quickly into the city centre by barring cars from going across a notoriously congested junction.

A year ago the council decided to impose fines after finding up to 5,000 motorists a day were flouting the rules. But despite reports that the fines resulted in a 97% drop in drivers ignoring the rules and an improvement in local traffic congestion, the National Parking Adjudication Service said the signs warning drivers were not adequate.

Now the city council's new Liberal Democrat administration has decided to allow penalised drivers to apply for a refund.

Council leader Paul Scriven said: "I have been listening to motorists from across the city and have heard their concerns. If drivers feel their fine was unfair, then they can contact Parking Services and we will refund their fine.

"I want common sense to prevail here. An independent adjudicator has reviewed seven appeals and felt that the signs may not be as clear as they could be.

"The adjudicator did not say that the council should refund all fines, but I want to be fair and give motorists the chance to get their money back."

Mr Scriven said the Department for Transport approved the original signs. He said the council was now working with the department to improve the signage at Hillsborough, particularly on the road surface.