Wellington driver fined five times in bus lane ‘revenue trap’

Monday, 23 June 2025

A Newtown resident unknowingly ticketed five times over a three-week period for driving in a bus lane believes the Wellington City Council is using it as a revenue tool by issuing multiple fines to people who are not given a fair chance to correct their mistake.

Ahmad Alshaabnia received a letter in the mail that he had illegally driven over 50 metres in the Cambridge Terrace bus lane, nearly two months after he had done it ‒ and when he went to pay it he found four other tickets waiting for him.

“If the notices take weeks to arrive, how are drivers supposed to know they’ve done something wrong before they’re hit with more fines?”

But council spokesperson Richard MacLean said there had been no significant delays in the processing of infringements, and tickets took on average no more than four to six business days. A backlog of appeals had caused delays to the usual 15 days needed to respond to appeals, MacLean said.

The fixed bus lane camera was installed in March and is situated on the intersection of Cambridge Terrace and Elizabeth St, ticketing motorists $150 for driving more than 50m in the lane.

Across the span of two months it has ticketed more than 5000 motorists and earned the council $767,550, The Post discovered through a LGOIMA (Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act) request.

Alshaabnia, who is on ACC and said he cannot afford the total of $750, is in the process of disputing the tickets and has been recommended to register on a payment plan. He believes the signage for the camera is too small for people to notice.

Wellington AA branch chair Geordie Cassin said the lack of signage, poor information and then lack of prompt follow up was a perfect example of why so many people in Wellington are frustrated.

“No one wants a fine but to only find out two months later that you’d done something wrong and then to discover you’ve clicked up another four fines in the meantime is just poor. When was he going to be advised about those?

“You don’t have to be too cynical to get a very strong feeling the council is more interested in catching people out than supporting them to do the right thing.”

Alshaabnia is not the only driver with delayed tickets. Steve Hind is taking the council to court this week to dispute the tickets he received on Riddiford St turning right onto John St.

His first infringement was in December but was not issued until February, during which time he received another ticket, which took another two months to be issued.

He is advocating for signage that clearly indicated to people when they were approaching 50m, and said residents should not be expected to measure that distance themselves, especially in extreme weather..

Sandra Downes was in the car with her husband to go to a doctor’s appointment when they were ticketed.

Turning from Lorne St into Tennyson St, she said her husband was unable to cross over to the middle lane as another car performed the same manoeuvre, trapping them on the left hand side.

She said it was “a bit of a rout” to expect cars to go into the middle lane and back again with traffic in such a short distance, and said she would understand if a car was purposefully using the bus lane but they were only driving around the corner.

“It is what it is and I will have to pay it but I think it’s a bit off.”

Charlotte Armstrong was driving to Harvey Norman when she was ticketed.

Realising she was in the bus lane, she panicked and tried to change lanes but said it was blocked with traffic and there was no way for her to turn into the right lane.

“There's loads of traffic lights, you're stopped, you're stuck, you haven't got an option.”