THERE have been so many appeals from angry motorists fined for driving along Coppergate that an independent inspector plans to visit the site for himself.

Stephen Knapp, an adjudicator with the Traffic Penalty Tribunal, wants to see whether signs saying that cars aren’t allowed are clear enough.

It isn’t only Coppergate where motorists have complained about signs not being clear. More than 40,000 motorists have now been fined for driving over Lendal Bridge when they shouldn’t. More than 300 are facing a £90 fine and possible court action after failing to pay their initial £60 fine.

One of the big complaints many have is that the signs there, too, are not clear enough.

Whether you agree with the closure of the bridge or not, clearly something is going wrong. It is good, therefore, that an independent inspector is going to look at Coppergate.

We suspect there may well be lessons to be learned for Lendal Bridge too. Nobody, surely, ever really envisaged tens of thousands of people being fined for crossing the bridge out of hours.

Essex County Council has decided to give an amnesty to 30,000 motorists fined for using a new bus lane in Colchester, after conceding signs were unclear.

Perhaps, as the Liberal Democrats say, this is something York should consider too.