Parking tickets for buses at bus stops

A Black Country bus company has complained drivers are being given parking tickets – for being in bus stops.

Bosses at Warley-based bus firm Diamond Bus say they have been left confused and angry after a spate of parking tickets, costing up to £70 each, were issued to vehicles that had broken down or were at an authorised bus stop dropping off passengers or picking them up.

Traffic wardens operating on behalf of Walsall and Sandwell Councils have claimed that buses were parked in the bus stops in violation of highways laws.

But Diamond has hit back and said the buses were either picking up passengers or had broken down and had to stay put until engineers could repair them. Stephen Bryce, operations manager from the Diamond Bus Company, said: "It is unfortunate when a bus suffers a technical fault but if the bus can't be moved then there's nothing we can do until it is either repaired on site or towed to our depot for further investigation."

He claimed: "On one occasion, July 28, the engineer's vehicle was parked at the rear of the bus when an enforcement officer snuck round to the front of the vehicle and issued a parking ticket. It's complete madness."

He said that broken down vehicles were never left unattended and that the vehicles were always in service.

But he said he would be interviewing drivers again to find out whether they had gone to the toilet. The company has said it will appeal against every ticket issued. At least seven tickets have been issued to Diamond Bus, six of them by Walsall Council.

Paul Leighton, group leader for traffic management at Walsall Council, said: "Diamond buses have been issued with a small number of penalty charge notices but in all cases the buses were parked and left unattended with no indication as to why."

Regarding a ticket given out in Wednesbury, Sandwell's neighbourhoods chief, Councillor Mahboob Hussain, said: "The bus was left empty with its engine running while at the bus stop.

"There is no stopping there apart from picking up and setting down.

"The driver was absent and there were no passengers waiting to board."