The other day I saw a van parked on a double red line, with a "TFL Buses" 
sign or similar in the window. The driver was attending to a ticket machine 
at a bus stop. Is this formally allowed, or ar TfL breaking their own rules? 
The red routes are supposed to aid traffic flow, not aid TfL.

In message <g3ipni$e1f$1$8300dec7@news.demon.co.uk>, at 12:46:56 on Sat, 
21 Jun 2008, John Rowland  
remarked:
>The other day I saw a van parked on a double red line, with a "TFL Buses"
>sign or similar in the window. The driver was attending to a ticket machine
>at a bus stop. Is this formally allowed, or ar TfL breaking their own rules?
>The red routes are supposed to aid traffic flow, not aid TfL.

The drivers of vans belonging to utility companies (and similar) often 
take liberties. Two examples I've seen recently:

Van with cherry-picker, for repairing streetlamps. Parked on the 
zig-zags at a busy zebra crossing. Well, they have to change them 
somehow, I expect, but this one was in the lowered position and the 
driver was eating his lunch.

A busy road where the double yellow lines have recently been augmented 
with "no loading/unloading" kerb markings. Police car parked half on and 
half off the pavement with a sign saying it was checking numberplates. 
So not an emergency situation.

As for the original question: perhaps they should service the machines 
at a time when the restriction doesn't apply.
-- 
Roland Perry

Roland Perry wrote:
> In message <g3ipni$e1f$1$8300dec7@news.demon.co.uk>, at 12:46:56 on
> Sat, 21 Jun 2008, John Rowland
>  remarked:
>> The other day I saw a van parked on a double red line, with a "TFL
>> Buses" sign or similar in the window. The driver was attending to a
>> ticket machine at a bus stop. Is this formally allowed, or ar TfL
>> breaking their own rules? The red routes are supposed to aid traffic
>> flow, not aid TfL.
>
> perhaps they should service the machines
> at a time when the restriction doesn't apply.

Double red lines are 24 hour. They typically have numerous parking spaces 
which are available outside the peak hour for the direction in question, but 
the van in question was not parked in one.

>
> >The other day I saw a van parked on a double red line, with a "TFL Buses"
> >sign or similar in the window. The driver was attending to a ticket machine
> >at a bus stop. Is this formally allowed, or ar TfL breaking their own rules?
> >The red routes are supposed to aid traffic flow, not aid TfL.
>
> The drivers of vans belonging to utility companies (and similar) often
> take liberties.

Vehicles used by utility companies (statutory undertakers in the legal
parlance), plus the Royal Mail and certain others like highway
maintenance vehicles, are usually specifically exempted in the Traffic
Orders from the controls and are therefore not commiting an offence.
That's not to say that sometimes the drivers don't overstay their
welcome.

Peter Heather

On 21 Jun, 20:28, Peter Heather  wrote:
> > >The other day I saw a van parked on a double red line, with a "TFL Buses"
> > >sign or similar in the window. The driver was attending to a ticket machine
> > >at a bus stop. Is this formally allowed, or ar TfL breaking their own rules?
> > >The red routes are supposed to aid traffic flow, not aid TfL.
>
> > The drivers of vans belonging to utility companies (and similar) often
> > take liberties.
>
> Vehicles used by utility companies (statutory undertakers in the legal
> parlance), plus the Royal Mail and certain others like highway
> maintenance vehicles, are usually specifically exempted in the Traffic
> Orders from the controls and are therefore not commiting an offence.
> That's not to say that sometimes the drivers don't overstay their
> welcome.
>
> Peter Heather

These vehicles are exempt only whilst the operator is carrying out
essential duties requiring the vehicle.  'Overstaying' would therefore
be an offence.

On Jun 24, 3:15 pm, umpston  wrote:
> On 21 Jun, 20:28, Peter Heather  wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > > >The other day I saw a van parked on a double red line, with a "TFL Buses"
> > > >sign or similar in the window. The driver was attending to a ticket machine
> > > >at a bus stop. Is this formally allowed, or ar TfL breaking their own rules?
> > > >The red routes are supposed to aid traffic flow, not aid TfL.
>
> > > The drivers of vans belonging to utility companies (and similar) often
> > > take liberties.
>
> > Vehicles used by utility companies (statutory undertakers in the legal
> > parlance), plus the Royal Mail and certain others like highway
> > maintenance vehicles, are usually specifically exempted in the Traffic
> > Orders from the controls and are therefore not commiting an offence.
> > That's not to say that sometimes the drivers don't overstay their
> > welcome.
>
> > Peter Heather
>
> These vehicles are exempt only whilst the operator is carrying out
> essential duties requiring the vehicle.  'Overstaying' would therefore
> be an offence.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

I don't dispute that, but since the original question was whether a
TfL van being used to service a ticket machine (or a highway authority
vehicle being used in connection with repairing a street light) was
committing an offence, my answer that they weren't is still valid.