I was travelling through Bath Heading towards Shaftesbury. It was my 1st time driving Through Bath and I got caught out by the 18 tonne weight limit. I pulled over on left hoping to turn around but it wasn’t possible due to parked vehicles.
I was driving an empty artic lorry at the time and had no choice but to go over the bridge.
They now have a camera facing you so I know i defo will be expecting a fine.
Had anyone got fined yet and how much am I looking at?
Do they take into consideration that I was under 18t as was empty ?
Even though its one camera , I would guess it gets the registration plate if crossing the bridge in any direction , being empty in an artic doesn’t make a difference , its the gross vehicle weight , and the camera can’t know if a truck is empty or not .
If you Google Bradford on Avon lorry watch , numerous empty artics thought it was ok to cross the bridge there and ended up in court .
The vehicle owner gets fined and the driver ,Trading Standards are the prosecution authority not the police , Dvla provide the owners details.
I know you crossed in one direction , the camera is hard to spot , high up in the tree line , and no place to turn around before the bridge in both directions .
Fine can be about a grand .
Probably looking at 400 to 600 pound fine, its trading standards who come after you, not generally the police. Those are figures from a bridge that was near my old address, and it is plated weight, not brutto weight.
Probably looking at 400 to 600 pound fine, its trading standards who come after you, not generally the police. Those are figures from a bridge that was near my old address, and it is plated weight, not brutto weight.
Wheel Nut:
Probably looking at 400 to 600 pound fine, its trading standards who come after you, not generally the police. Those are figures from a bridge that was near my old address, and it is plated weight, not brutto weight.
Many thanks for your reply and info.
This week is the 3rd week since going over bridge and so far haven’t heard anything.
The camera can get number plates in both directions over the bridge , Google Bradford on Avon lorry watch , as that site lists the potential penalties and numerous artic drivers that thought they were OK to cross that bridge when empty .
Lorry watchers there count the axles and don’t know if you are empty as others said it’s based on GVW .
The Cleveland bridge is hard to spot and blends in with the tree line , in both directions it’s impossible to turn around .
Don’t be offended , but there are numerous warning signs in a large radius to give drivers plenty of warning .
To avoid the weight limit for Shaftesbury , exit M4 Chippenham , Westbury , Warminster then follow the route for Poole .
Or not the best , exit M4 to M32 Bristol to Keynsham bypass to Bath , follow A36 to Beckington to Warminster , in Bath , if you have Pulteny street on the left , you are allowed to turn right at the lights to the A36 Southbound.
G79: I had a collection in bath on Friday told office I couldn’t do it due to weight limit in bath, is there another way though or not?
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This is the way to go with these bans. The more refusals to collect or deliver to Bath postcodes the more likely Bath businesses will lobby their council.
G79: I had a collection in bath on Friday told office I couldn’t do it due to weight limit in bath, is there another way though or not?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
This is the way to go with these bans. The more refusals to collect or deliver to Bath postcodes the more likely Bath businesses will lobby their council.
Won’t happen mate, operators will still send drivers, and unless some solidarity amongst those drivers prevail (ha ha ha) it will just continue.
That is what is needed though you are right,.same with all the restrictions in the ■■■■ hole that is London.
I have a fairly regular drop in Bath, not been to it for a while, since all this crap came about,…but it will be fun.
toby1234abc:
The camera can get number plates in both directions over the bridge , Google Bradford on Avon lorry watch , as that site lists the potential penalties and numerous artic drivers that thought they were OK to cross that bridge when empty .
Lorry watchers there count the axles and don’t know if you are empty as others said it’s based on GVW .
The Cleveland bridge is hard to spot and blends in with the tree line , in both directions it’s impossible to turn around .
Don’t be offended , but there are numerous warning signs in a large radius to give drivers plenty of warning .
To avoid the weight limit for Shaftesbury , exit M4 Chippenham , Westbury , Warminster then follow the route for Poole .
Or not the best , exit M4 to M32 Bristol to Keynsham bypass to Bath , follow A36 to Beckington to Warminster , in Bath , if you have Pulteny street on the left , you are allowed to turn right at the lights to the A36 Southbound.
Yep, plenty of large signs on the approaches to warn you and give alternative routes.
I lived in that area for ten years, and know most legal, and some that you only get away with in a (milk) tanker or tipper, short cuts and cut throughs. I concur with the tobemeister, if you’re going North or South, just go via the M4 j17 A350, down to Warminster, or vice versa. It’s probably as fast, if not faster than any equivalent. tobes other option, is only really sensible if you’re starting from South Bristol, as by the time you’ve gone round the Bristol Ring, Salford, and through Bath and down the A36, you’ll be as quick going via Chippenham.
G79: I had a collection in bath on Friday told office I couldn’t do it due to weight limit in bath, is there another way though or not?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
This is the way to go with these bans. The more refusals to collect or deliver to Bath postcodes the more likely Bath businesses will lobby their council.
Won’t happen mate, operators will still send drivers, and unless some solidarity amongst those drivers prevail (ha ha ha) it will just continue.
That is what is needed though you are right,.same with all the restrictions in the [zb] hole that is London.
I have a fairly regular drop in Bath, not been to it for a while, since all this crap came about,…but it will be fun.
toby1234abc:
The camera can get number plates in both directions over the bridge , Google Bradford on Avon lorry watch , as that site lists the potential penalties and numerous artic drivers that thought they were OK to cross that bridge when empty .
Lorry watchers there count the axles and don’t know if you are empty as others said it’s based on GVW .
The Cleveland bridge is hard to spot and blends in with the tree line , in both directions it’s impossible to turn around .
Don’t be offended , but there are numerous warning signs in a large radius to give drivers plenty of warning .
To avoid the weight limit for Shaftesbury , exit M4 Chippenham , Westbury , Warminster then follow the route for Poole .
Or not the best , exit M4 to M32 Bristol to Keynsham bypass to Bath , follow A36 to Beckington to Warminster , in Bath , if you have Pulteny street on the left , you are allowed to turn right at the lights to the A36 Southbound.
Thank you! No I’m not offended to be honest I did see plenty of sighs saying weight limit on a34. Since it was my 1st time and I was following satnav I had no idea I would be going onto a a34 as tomtom only gave the Road name. School boy error i know i should have checked. In a new pass so got alot to learn.
toby1234abc:
The camera can get number plates in both directions over the bridge , Google Bradford on Avon lorry watch , as that site lists the potential penalties and numerous artic drivers that thought they were OK to cross that bridge when empty .
Lorry watchers there count the axles and don’t know if you are empty as others said it’s based on GVW .
The Cleveland bridge is hard to spot and blends in with the tree line , in both directions it’s impossible to turn around .
Don’t be offended , but there are numerous warning signs in a large radius to give drivers plenty of warning .
To avoid the weight limit for Shaftesbury , exit M4 Chippenham , Westbury , Warminster then follow the route for Poole .
Or not the best , exit M4 to M32 Bristol to Keynsham bypass to Bath , follow A36 to Beckington to Warminster , in Bath , if you have Pulteny street on the left , you are allowed to turn right at the lights to the A36 Southbound.
Thank you! No I’m not offended to be honest I did see plenty of sighs saying weight limit on a34. Since it was my 1st time and I was following satnav I had no idea I would be going onto a a34 as tomtom only gave the Road name. School boy error i know i should have checked. In a new pass so got alot to learn.
toby1234abc:
The camera can get number plates in both directions over the bridge , Google Bradford on Avon lorry watch , as that site lists the potential penalties and numerous artic drivers that thought they were OK to cross that bridge when empty .
Lorry watchers there count the axles and don’t know if you are empty as others said it’s based on GVW .
The Cleveland bridge is hard to spot and blends in with the tree line , in both directions it’s impossible to turn around .
Don’t be offended , but there are numerous warning signs in a large radius to give drivers plenty of warning .
To avoid the weight limit for Shaftesbury , exit M4 Chippenham , Westbury , Warminster then follow the route for Poole . Or not the best , exit M4 to M32 Bristol to Keynsham bypass to Bath , follow A36 to Beckington to Warminster , in Bath , if you have Pulteny street on the left , you are allowed to turn right at the lights to the A36 Southbound.
That route is moot from next year, when the Bath clean air zone starts…
toby1234abc:
The camera can get number plates in both directions over the bridge , Google Bradford on Avon lorry watch , as that site lists the potential penalties and numerous artic drivers that thought they were OK to cross that bridge when empty .
Lorry watchers there count the axles and don’t know if you are empty as others said it’s based on GVW .
The Cleveland bridge is hard to spot and blends in with the tree line , in both directions it’s impossible to turn around .
Don’t be offended , but there are numerous warning signs in a large radius to give drivers plenty of warning .
To avoid the weight limit for Shaftesbury , exit M4 Chippenham , Westbury , Warminster then follow the route for Poole .
Or not the best , exit M4 to M32 Bristol to Keynsham bypass to Bath , follow A36 to Beckington to Warminster , in Bath , if you have Pulteny street on the left , you are allowed to turn right at the lights to the A36 Southbound.
Thank you! No I’m not offended to be honest I did see plenty of sighs saying weight limit on a34. Since it was my 1st time and I was following satnav I had no idea I would be going onto a a34 as tomtom only gave the Road name. School boy error i know i should have checked. In a new pass so got alot to learn.
Daani:
Thank you! No I’m not offended to be honest I did see plenty of sighs saying weight limit on a34. Since it was my 1st time AND I WAS FOLLOWING SAT NAV I had no idea I would be going onto a a34 as tomtom only gave the Road name. School boy error i know i should have checked. In a new pass so got alot to learn.
Thanks
Nice one mate for admitting your mistake.
The lesson you have learned is …DO NOT TOTALLY RELY on a sat nav, it is an aid, and a guide , despite what too many think…
It’s to be used along side a brain and a bit of initiative, not a substitute for both !!!
Let’s hope that lesson has not been expensive for you, a lot more drivers would do well to learn that same lesson.
G79: I had a collection in bath on Friday told office I couldn’t do it due to weight limit in bath, is there another way though or not?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
This is the way to go with these bans. The more refusals to collect or deliver to Bath postcodes the more likely Bath businesses will lobby their council.
Won’t happen mate, operators will still send drivers, and unless some solidarity amongst those drivers prevail (ha ha ha) it will just continue.
That is what is needed though you are right,.same with all the restrictions in the [zb] hole that is London.
I have a fairly regular drop in Bath, not been to it for a while, since all this crap came about,…but it will be fun.
I’m not sure if this will help or not , but worth a try maybe ? But everyone makes mistakes and everyone is entitled to defend themselves , this is called mitigation , you could say that you didn’t have the licence a long time and misinterpreted the legal meaning of the sign in relation to being empty at 17.5 to 18 tons at a guess , they may dismiss it and state gvw but it may reduce the fine .
, despite what too many think…
