A Freedom of Information (FoI) response has revealed that Wapping Bus Gate has generated £4.3 million in Penalty Charge Notices in 24 months but seems to be a trifle costly to maintain.
Between 13th November 2019 when the bus gate began operation and 1 December 2021 a total of 28,363 Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) were issued with a total monetary value for contravention of code 52m of £4,354,406.
2,188 of the fines were to those living in the E1W area. 211 of these were successfully challenged. 7,356 appeals against all fines were successful.
£3m overheads? For one bus gate?
Weird thing is that FoI response 26974837 Wapping Bus Gate PCN statistics states that “the total revenue accruing to the London Borough of Tower Hamlets from payment of such PCNs is £1,400,387.01”
Which would imply that the overheads for this one bus gate are £3 million. Which seems unlikely if you look at the costs below from the other FoI responses.
Would one of the many people who submitted FoIs on the bus gates care to submit another one for Moley please?
Something along the lines of asking if (a) the Wapping bus gate really does have overheads of £2,954,019 in a 24 month period and (b) where on earth does the £3m go?
The Wapping Bus Gate cameras cost £42,000, which includes cost of two Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras, installation and one year support and maintenance. The On-going cost per year for Wapping Bus Gate ANPR camera is £10,600.
The On-going costs per year are inline with those for the Globe Primary School ANPR camera (£5,300) and ANPR camera for Malmesbury Primary in Bow (£10,600).
Moley is far too polite to point out that a certain Wapping ward councillor who shall not be named Abdal Ullah is bragging about his achievement in providing cost free access for blue badge users.
That the unnamed councillor was involved in the bus gates design from the very start and didn’t give any regard to blue badge holders and the obvious fact that they should not be subject to fines when they had no choice but to use cars is another fact Mole will not mention.
But now he wants your vote.
And if readers would please refrain from sharing these facts on social media or telling anyone else about it a certain Wapping ward councillor Abdal Ullah would probably be grateful.
FoI responses referenced
It is unusual to find so many FoIs on one subject, you can see all the ones referenced above by going to the and search for bus gate and wapping between 17/03/2020 – 17/03/2022 to get the same results.
- FOI: 32942045 Wapping Bus Gate Fines
- FOI: 26974837 Wapping Bus Gate PCN statistics
- FOI: 27406365 Wapping Bus Gate
- FOI: 27929301 Wapping Bus Gate Signage Review and Interim Review Report
- FOI: 24683473 Wapping ‘Bus Gate'(this references other documentation).
- FOI: 24633073 Freedom of information for ongoing cost of Bus Gates and ANPR
It is not cost free for Blue Badge Holders according to the TH website.
https://www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/lgnl/transport_and_streets/Parking/parking_permits/Exemption-permit.aspx
Costs
There is a £20 application fee per year for the exemption permit.
This fee is non-refundable even if your application has been rejected due to ineligibility.
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I personally find it unconscionable that residents with mobility needs have to pay £20 a year admin charge given they have already proved their need for an exemption with the Blue Badge.
If the rules have changed TH need to change the above website.
Not to mention I wrote to Biggs to get this exemption 6 month before the Bus Gate was introduced and it took him 2 years to actually introduce the exemption for a fee.
Regards Chris
Yes I remember you doing that! To be fair two years for the Mayor to do anything is pretty quick.