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Olympic roads row
Drivers face £5k VIP lane fines
There’s nothing sporting about these new road rules!
By Julie Sinclair
11th November 2007
Proposed Olympic VIP lanes will let ministers, athletes and corporate sponsors drive around London jam-free in 2012. But motorists who steer into the restricted routes could be hit with astronomical £5,000 fines, according to proposals put forward in the latest version of the London Olympics Bill.
The lanes, which will link venues across the city, are expected to operate from 6am-12midnight, and will be policed by cameras and enforcement officers. According to the Bill, which recently passed its committee stage in the House of Commons, prohibited drivers who enter the lanes or infringe the new Olympic Route Network could face the hefty penalty.
The Olympic Delivery Authority, which is backing the proposals, argued: “This is supposed to be a deterrent to motorists – and the maximum fine of £5,000 is only likely to be handed out to repeat offenders.”
But there are already industry fears that drivers who accidentally enter the banned zones could be hit with the same penalty. The AA Motoring Trust slammed the ruling. Its head of road policy, Paul Watters, said: “Why should a simple mistake cost someone up to £5,000? One would expect draconian sanctions like this for serious offences, not for breaking technical regulations.”
And an Association of British Drivers spokesman said: “Visitors to London, who are less familiar with the roads, are more likely to be caught out, but this is the kind of treatment UK motorists have come to expect.”
The roads involved still haven’t been finalised, but could stretch up to 150 miles around the city, as far west as Heathrow Airport, and out east to the Olympic village in Stratford.
The lanes, which will link venues across the city, are expected to operate from 6am-12midnight, and will be policed by cameras and enforcement officers. According to the Bill, which recently passed its committee stage in the House of Commons, prohibited drivers who enter the lanes or infringe the new Olympic Route Network could face the hefty penalty.
The Olympic Delivery Authority, which is backing the proposals, argued: “This is supposed to be a deterrent to motorists – and the maximum fine of £5,000 is only likely to be handed out to repeat offenders.”
But there are already industry fears that drivers who accidentally enter the banned zones could be hit with the same penalty. The AA Motoring Trust slammed the ruling. Its head of road policy, Paul Watters, said: “Why should a simple mistake cost someone up to £5,000? One would expect draconian sanctions like this for serious offences, not for breaking technical regulations.”
And an Association of British Drivers spokesman said: “Visitors to London, who are less familiar with the roads, are more likely to be caught out, but this is the kind of treatment UK motorists have come to expect.”
The roads involved still haven’t been finalised, but could stretch up to 150 miles around the city, as far west as Heathrow Airport, and out east to the Olympic village in Stratford.
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