Mount Pleasant Road in Tunbridge Wells has become the site of 70,000 penalty charge notices since April 2023, according to data obtained by BBC under Freedom of Information laws. The road forbids vehicles, except buses, taxis, and bicycles, from travelling between certain hours of the day from Church Road and Monson Road junctions. Tunbridge Wells Borough Council (TWBC) said it had implemented the restrictions to create a better environment for pedestrians and cyclists.
Driving along Mount Pleasant Road during the restricted times would attract a penalty charge notice (PCN) for offenders. Of the 70,000 notices generated, 16,131 were successfully appealed supplying evidence of poor signage on the road. Chris Calvo, a resident, said he had been caught violating the restriction twice due to the road’s unclear signal. Another resident, Eliza Grant, said a driver had to perform a three-point turn recently to avoid entering the restricted zone.
TWBC is working on improving sight by enhancing the signage on the road in line with their recent collaboration with Kent County Council (KCC). A spokesperson for TWBC stated that the restriction aimed to prevent cars from entering the public domain bus lane to create a beautiful environment for pedestrians and bike enthusiasts.
Amanda Humphrey, a resident living near the road, claimed many people she knew had previously been fined, but she did not see any difference in the number of pedestrian crossings after the council closed off that part of the road. The spokesperson for TWBC urged anybody who has received a Penalty Charge Notice due to the enforcement to appeal under the mitigating circumstances
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