Worth appealing a parking ticket?

[kiethton]

Have had my informal appeal bounced back but thought I'd sense check whether it's worth just paying the £80 now or risking £160 later. An informal appeal has just been rejected.

I and 30 or so others were caught in a "suspended" motorbike bay in the City of London. There are normally 2 signs for the bay but one is encased in building hoarding which spans to the kerb for about 40% the length of the bay. The signs are against the far side of the bay.

I park, don't see the remaining sign (a flip down which looks similar to what is there normally) as the angle from where I am makes it invisible. I arrive and depart on foot in the opposite direction, the building hoarding blocks my view of the sign.

When getting back I found the ticket and checked the signage - there were no yellow triangle suspended bay signs (there were when the bay was suspended again a few weeks later - I have a picture), just the normal sign about 25m away from where I parked which appears nowhere in the traffic sign regulation document (had an adjudicator appeal thrown out solely on this, justly according to pepipoo, 8 years ago).

The sign closest to me was encased in the hoarding but showed no suspension, it was as it appeared normally - do have to jump up/look over to see it as it's encased in scaffolding.

Given the sign they rely on is non compliant, not visible from where I was and the one closest (but not really visible from the street) indicated no suspension should I appeal?

My bike on the day:



The sign inside the hoarding:



Then a few weeks later, a yellow sign appears below (this was not there on the day), just a smaller white one above:



I was parked about 20m to the right.

Location is Finsbury Circus if anybody knows it well.

[Colonel Cupcake]

I would always appeal. Make them do some work. Surely you can still pay £80 if you lose a formal appeal?

[rdjohn]

I would suggest that you appeal if you live a couple of hundred miles away and can demonstrate that this was a one-off visit.

The signs do look to be displayed badly, but if you are a regular to the area, then it is reasonable that you might be aware of temporary suspensions.

They do not have to prove beyond all reasonable doubt, only the balance of probability that you should be have made yourself aware of what is happening in the vicinity. A lack of other bikes being a strong clue.

[kiethton]

Thanks guys - I park in that bay (or another on Old Jewry) Monday-Friday and arrive at 06:30 so am normally one of the first bikes there (although I parked next to a few others/normal number on that day).

I have now made sure to check the signage but didn't this day as was at the opposite end (20m away) and hidden from direct view by building work - I arrive and depart in the opposite direction to the one remaining sign.

This is a rejection of informal appeal - if I don't pay now the £80 discounted rate goes to £160

I just found it interesting how the sign at the end of the bay I was in had no restriction (but was built into scaffolding), how they rely on a single sign at one end if they are omitting that sign from counting (why were there 2 used before) why did they actually fit a proper larger yellow sign when they suspended the bay 2 weeks later but didn't on the day I was ticketed - would have possibly made a difference.

Bit annoyed as £80 is 7 weeks commuting costs, I use the bike to save cash....