A classic bus has fallen foul of bus lane rules in Newcastle, reports Nick Larkin
Some of the most unexpected bus related stories sometimes grab the attention of the national media. Tyne Idols uses a Leyland Atlantean in Corporation/Busways yellow, white and maroon livery on tours around Newcastle-upon-Tyne, highlighting the area’s rich musical heritage.
These include a journey hosted by former drummer of locally much worshipped band Lindisfarne, Ray Laidlaw, and which includes a trip over the city’s famous High Level Bridge accompanied by the group’s immortal hit, Fog on the Tyne echoing from the bus’ sound system.
One trip cost the operator a high level price though when the Atlantean was issued with a £70 penalty charge notice, or PCN, for entering the bridge via its bus lane. The owner of the vehicle, Paul Irwin from Tyne Idols, pointed out that the Atlantean is very much a bus, as shown on the ANPR camera images, so has appealed against the fine.
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“We’ve all had a good laugh about this, and it’s made our bus even more of a star than she already is,” Paul told local media. “We have appealed the PCN and hopefully we will be able to continue using the bridge to promote our region’s rich culture and entertainment history.
In his appeal, Paul said: “We are a 70-seater double decker vintage bus simply using one of the many bus lanes we have used for the past 10 years. The alleged contravention of ‘being in a bus lane’ is true, but I can assure you the vehicle is 100% a bus.”
The issuer of the fine, Newcastle city council, is reported to have been unsympathetic, saying that both the High Level bridge and Tyne Bridge slip road bus lanes were for local buses only, in the sense of a local public service, not for buses used as an excursion or tour bus.
But dare we, not at all tongue in teeth of course, suggest another reason for the seeming dilemma? No secret has ever been made of this but the Atlantean’s registration number reveals it wasn’t among the thousands of the type that ran on Tyneside with Newcastle Corporation, and its successor Tyne and Wear PTE; or Northern General and its sister companies. PUA 300W was new in 1980 for West Yorkshire PTE and has a Roe body, built in Leeds. What do Geordie ANPR cameras make of that, we wonder!
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