I visited the area last week in my motorhome, staying at Crystal Palace campsite. I had travelled from west into London 6 days prior to leaving. I live up north, do not know London and really solely on sat nav to travel in unknown areas. My motorhome is over 13 metres long, adapted for my disability and enables me to travel. The sat nav directed up Railton Road, yes it was sign posted to say no access, but it was far too late. I had nowhere to do a u-turn due to the size of my vehicle, so I had to proceed through the flower boxes. My sat nav is completely up to date and didn’t show this as a no go route. Then I find this forum and see that 60 fines are issued daily, a staggering amount. I have read some of the comments, most stating that those ignoring the signs are just trying to save themselves a few minute. From my point of view it is a total disgrace, if the local authority in their wisdom want to block off roads, they must work to update street map guidance with satellite nav providers to prevent tourists from being trapped and basically robbed. I totally get that streets are being made safer for residents, but I can guarantee that the road was in use before any of the current residents moved in and would have known that there was a road on their doorstep. Signage should have been displayed way before the road with a re-directed route offered, it’s nothing more than blind robbery otherwise
Railton Road
- Thread starter ncop
- Start date
Winot
I wholeheartedley agree with your viewpoint
Welcome to Urban 75.
You'll find most of the issues you raise discussed here:
Brixton Liveable Neighbourhood and LTN schemes - improvements for pedestrians and cyclists
About Brixton Liveable Neighbourhood Brixton Liveable Neighbourhood aims to realise the great potential Brixton has for walking and cycling while improving air quality, reducing congestion, supporting local businesses and providing for the growth in jobs and homes planned for the area. We...
www.urban75.net
I suggest you read carefully from the beginning.
Oh well, you live & learn
Kevbad the Bad
Amiable Bowel Syndrome
Is this the worst incident ever to have happened on Railton Road, ever?
May not be the worst incident in the world, but at the heart of every community, you need the benefits of tourism to help your community survive. If you don’t want traffic, you need to support the diversion, not rob blindly. Not everyone has the luxury of being able to ride a bike or walk either. The biggest question is, where actually does this fine money go to?
cupid_stunt
Chief seagull hater & farmerbarleymow's nemesis.
That would seem reasonable.
editor
hiraethified
I'm more concerned that you failed to respond the clear street signs and just carried on, What other signs do you choose to ignore because of your sat nav?
cupid_stunt
Chief seagull hater & farmerbarleymow's nemesis.
editor
hiraethified
Reverse?
A380
How do I change this 'custom title' thing then?
There was one that said "No vehicles in the park"...
cupid_stunt
Chief seagull hater & farmerbarleymow's nemesis.
I am a experienced driver, but I wouldn't fancy reversing a 13 metres long motorhome along narrow streets in Brixton.
Despite being a special case, they'll still have to pay the fine, but I think they are right in saying councils should update the satnav companies in circumstances like this.
BigTom
Well-Known Member
Council's can't force satnav operators to update their software, these blocks are up on google maps so the council has done it's job - it's your satnav operator that is at fault here.
If I try to do a route from the dogstar to the middle of railton road, it takes me around the block that is in between atlantic road and railton road, so clearly knows it's a no through route - by bike it takes you directly there.
Where did you approach from? becuase the approach from Atlantic road is beyond clear and you could easily have seen and turned right or left before it as far as I can see:
I'm not local though so will bow to local knowledge on this one - although it's not something you have either.
BigTom
Well-Known Member
Google maps is up to date, so the council have updated this for satnav companies to take, it's the satnav company that is at fault here, not the council I think.
Pickman's model
Starry Wisdom
there are none so blind as those that will not see road signs
It was the other end we came in, like I said, with a 13 metre motorhome, no other option than carry on going. No way of turning around. I guess Londoners want London to themselves
No point putting a sign up at the point of no return
I paid the fine, I knew I was going to be in the wrong. I had no option other than proceed past the flower boxes
I came from the other direction with a 13 metre motorhome, I couldn’t turn around, so had to proceed. I knew there would be consequences. I am not local either, I followed the sat nav, driving a long vehicle through London is stressful enough with roads being closed off. I have purchased a snooper satnav when I returned home, the ones lorry/bus drivers use, hopefully this will resolve future issues
BigTom
Well-Known Member
If you entered from Hurst Street then you missed the cul-de-sac sign at the turn
Londoners want all sorts of things, but these blocks are there to stop drivers using these roads as through roads and stick to more major roads instead. If your satnav company kept itself up to date you would have been taken a different route, hopefully your new satnav, which is much more suitable for a vehicle the size you are driving, will do you fine in future. The vast majority of roads that have been closed are not really suitable for a vehicle that size anyway
My motorhome is lighter than a bus and fractionally thinner, so if a bus can do it hey. But that’s not the point, yes that’s were I entered, but it was too late, I had to proceed. I have learned that London is no longer a city I want to visit, I will stick to my rural life
A380
How do I change this 'custom title' thing then?
And so ends a fully contained vignette in the classic three act structure.
Come and join in on the crisps thread.
BigTom
Well-Known Member
All the roads can take a vehicle your size because of fire engines and refuse collection vehicles but that doesn't make them exactly suitable for vehicles that size, and the vast majority of roads which have been made cul-de-sacs do not have bus routes on them. Buses are also not expected to be in a position where they might need to reverse or turn around which is a very different use case to a motorhome.
It wasn't too late at the point where the cul-de-sac sign is, you could have turned right and looped back around to the A road that you are meant to use to get to wherever you want.
If you take the existence of cul-de-sacs as a reason not to visit somewhere you are going to be sorely limited in your excursions in future.
girasol
Addicted to handstands!
You could have appealed. They are supposed to freeze the fine until the decision on the appeal is made. It's crap that you had a stressful time - it's pretty stressful for London residents too, if it's any consolation (I'm sure it ain't, but I feel your pain)...
It might be worth writing to the council to say what you experienced anyway, just for the record?
It might be worth writing to the council to say what you experienced anyway, just for the record?
Sasaferrato
Super Refuser!
I agree.
Sasaferrato
Super Refuser!
Have you ever tried to reverse something this big in a confined area?
Not so easy at all, but with London traffic, damn near impossible I would think.
