I recently received one of those official looking large brown envelopes in the post with a notice at the top stating “Important. This is not a circular”. I took a sharp inhalation of breath and thought “Oh no, here we go again. Another bl***y parking summons”.

I opened it and saw that it was indeed motor-related but, instead of parking, the letter inside stated “Bus Lane Warning Notice” advising me of the precise time of day that I wilfully drove my car from the permitted car traffic lanes over to a bus lane, adding, for the avoidance of any doubt, that it was recorded on a CCTV camera.

I carried on reading, waiting for the final paragraph advising me of the fine payable when I came to the next paragraph, “YOU DO NOT NEED TO TAKE ANY FURTHER ACTION WITH REGARDS TO THIS NOTICE as payment is not required on this occasion”.

My initial grimace turned into a smile as I continued reading that this was a new regulation and the council were giving people two months to get used to it before hitting them with a penalty of £60 for each infringement following the end of the two month trial period.

If I had been charged I would have argued that I had no choice but to use the bus lane since an accident ahead of me had blocked the usual car traffic lanes. However, that’s not the point and Sheffield City Council deserve praise for showing some imagination and flexibility in these regulation-obsessed times.