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‘I won’t be back’: Visitor slams Aberdeen bus gates after getting two fines in one day

Roland Proctor from Dundee has been left £120 out of pocket after his day trip to the Granite City.

Gus Proctor was fined twice while visiting Aberdeen in April. Image: Sarah Proctor.
Gus Proctor was fined twice while visiting Aberdeen in April. Image: Sarah Proctor.

A man visiting Aberdeen to pick up his son has slammed the council after he was fined twice for going through bus gates in one day.

Roland “Gus” Proctor visited the Granite City on April 19, spending the day in the city before heading to Hazlehead Academy where his son was working.

The father, who lives in Dundee and is “unfamiliar” with north-east roads, said he was relying on his satnav which took him through controversial bus gates.

But with the city council saying that following a satnav is not a valid excuse, Mr Proctor says he will now avoid visiting Aberdeen at all costs.

Market Street bus gate.
Mr Proctor drove through a bus gate on Market Street in Aberdeen. Image: Scott Baxter/DC Thomson.

He explained: “I was at Torry Battery taking photographs and after this, it was was time to go and pick up my son.

“Following the quickest way was up Market Street and along Union Street and then zig-zagging. I was just following the satnav.”

Market Street is the location of one of the controversial city centre bus gates and Mr Proctor said once he had got on to the busy street, there was no place to do a U-turn.

“I couldn’t get out of (the street),” he explained.

“I just had to commit to it and go with the flow.”

Despite being “furious” about the fine, he held his hands up and decided to pay the £30 fee.

He did not protest as Aberdeen City Council’s automated system said that “following a satnav” is not a valid excuse.

Aberdeen bus gates causing ‘a lot of needless stress’

Shortly after, Mr Proctor received another bus gate fine through the post, this time for driving through a Union Street bus gate.

But not realising that he had driven through two separate gates, he thought it was a reminder for his first fine.

Therefore the second fine went unpaid, leading to a letter from the local sheriff’s office.

Mr Proctor admits that not spotting the second letter was “entirely my fault” – but he has questions for the council.

“Firstly, why were both fines not together in the same correspondence to save confusion?,” he said.

“I thought it was a reminder of the first fine and oblivious to a second. If I knew that, then I would have paid it promptly without all this needless stress.”

In total, Mr Proctor has now paid £120 in fines for his day trip to Aberdeen.

Marischal College, Aberdeen.
Mr Proctor blasted Aberdeen City Council’s response to him. Image: Darrell Benns/DC Thomson.

Aberdeen visitor will stay away

Now, Mr Proctor says he will be avoiding driving in Aberdeen city centre at all costs.

He says he will stick with the AWPR.

“I now know to stay away from driving around the city centre,” he said.

An Aberdeen City Council spokeswoman said two separate incidents at different times means two separate fines.

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