I just lately acquired two fines for driving my automotive into the Birmingham clear air zone and really feel I've been unfairly handled. The letters each said I had 14 days to pay a decreased fee of £60 for every nice. After that, the complete £120 nice can be payable.
I appealed on the premise that I reside exterior Birmingham and was unaware the zone had been launched. I missed the indicators, as I used to be navigating utilizing a satnav.
I additionally really feel considerably aggrieved because the second nice was technically deemed the following day. I drove out of the zone seven minutes after midnight.
I’m a diligent driver and have by no means acquired a parking nice or rushing ticket, and because the clear air zone was so new I naively thought they may let me off a minimum of one of many fees.
Birmingham council took a number of weeks to reply and reject my attraction, by which period the 14 days early fee window had expired. I really feel that I ought to a minimum of have the precise to pay the “decreased” £60 nice if my attraction is just not profitable.
NS, by electronic mail
How many individuals residing exterior the West Midlands are even conscious that Birmingham’s clear air zone went reside in June 2021? Not that many, I believe, and one of many causes for publishing this letter is to spotlight its introduction. There are additionally comparable schemes in Bathtub and Portsmouth, alongside the pioneer, London.
The foundations within the Birmingham zone are fairly clear. Diesel vehicles that aren't of Euro 6 commonplace or greater – which usually means these constructed earlier than 2015-ish – and pre-Euro 4 petrol vehicles (pre-2006) should pay the £8 day by day cost, which, as you came upon to your value runs from midnight to midnight. These coming into should pay the cost inside six days, or face a penalty.
Sadly, ignorance of its introduction is just not sufficient to get you off. Nonetheless, I do agree that those that attraction in opposition to the nice ought to a minimum of be given the precise to pay the decreased £60 fee if their attraction is unsuccessful.
In London, if a driver appeals throughout the reduced-rate interval, the clock is then stopped they usually retain the precise to pay on the decrease cost, even the place the attraction takes longer.
Birmingham metropolis council tells me that's not the case there. This appears to me an affront to pure justice, is an incentive for the council to course of appeals slowly, and ought to be modified.
The council says its method is according to the Street Consumer Charging (Enforcement and Adjudication) Rules 2001. It says 530,000 nice notices had been issued within the first six months of operation, and there may be clear steering on its web site.
One of many odd issues about that is Google Maps doesn’t warn these driving into the Birmingham zone of its existence. Should you ask it to direct you into the London Ulez, a warning flashes up. Birmingham says that is on the way in which.
In the meantime, others be warned. Clear air zones are coming in Bradford, Manchester and Bristol. As persons are getting again of their vehicles post-pandemic, a lot of folks can be caught out. See in case you are affected utilizing the web checker.
We welcome letters however can't reply individually. Electronic mail us at shopper.champions@theguardian.com or write to Shopper Champions, Cash, the Guardian, 90 York Means, London N1 9GU. Please embody a daytime telephone quantity. Submission and publication of all letters is topic to our phrases and situations
Post a Comment