New Kent Road Signs Imply Permission Says MP Despite Bus Lane Ban

New signs in Tunbridge Wells might cost drivers money. The signs are for bus lanes. A local MP, Mike Martin, has worries. He thinks blue signs confuse drivers. Fines can reach £70.

He wants red signs instead. Red circles clearly show “no entry.” He asked KCC officials for a town walk so they can discuss concerns together. Residents want clearer signs too.

Mr. Martin wrote to Cllr Neil Baker, saying resident concerns are ignored. He feels these changes will worsen things. The blue signs aren’t clear, he stated; blue might imply permission, yet the sign actually means “entry is forbidden.”

Red signs exist elsewhere in town, and he wants them near the war memorial too. This makes prohibited zones clear. He invited Cllr Baker to visit and jointly hire a traffic expert, with the borough council paying for it. He also wants to pause the planned changes because he thinks they would worsen the situation.

The traffic setup is two years old and TWBC manages it. Almost 12,000 fines were issued last year. This could be £840,000 in revenue, but collected revenue is likely less because people pay early, appeal, or ignore fees.

KCC will now control the system and get the revenue. Cllr Baker says the goal is changed behavior, not to raise money. He explains that blue signs follow Kent’s standards and match the Highway Code.

Shoppers agreed with Mr. Martin’s view and compared blue and red sign photos. Sue Callaghan got a fine with blue signs, stating, “Why is it a blue circle?” She feels red circles make more sense. Guy Watson is also concerned about the signs and finds the red sign more obvious. He thinks blue doesn’t clearly ban cars, which could confuse some people.

KCC said signs must align with rules, and the blue signs follow guidelines. This is consistent across Kent, they say, citing that Ashford and Dartford also use blue signs. They know people worry about the blue, but they do follow the Highway Code.

KCC has a six-month warning period now, so drivers can learn the rules and avoid future fines. The fine is £70, but if paid within 21 days, it’s halved. No clear date exists for full enforcement yet, and the council will give a first-time warning, with any repeat resulting in a fine, for the first six months.

Cllr Sean Holden criticized the Liberal Democrats, saying they are hiding something. He stated they fined people for mistakes and called it a revenue raising scheme.