A man has been fined six times for driving into Bristol's Clean Air Zon without realising. It took six weeks for the first penalty notice to arrive at this house, so he was unaware that he had entered the fee-paying area for over one month.
His mum, who wished not to be named, shared his experience after he was fined for entering the same spot between January and February, coming out of North Street and on to the Cumberland Basin.
She claims signage on this route was not clear when the scheme was first launched, although the situation has improved now.
Read More: Bristol's Clean Air Zone: How to appeal fines
She said: “My son got caught six times (January, February) coming out of North St onto the Cumberland Basin. He didn't think he was in the CAZ and so in all innocence continued with this route.
"It took six weeks (postal strikes didn't help) to get a penalty notice. Only then did he realise that he was clipping the zone but then he had already travelled the same route several times.
“He said CAZ signs were non-existent or difficult to see in the dark. New signs have recently emerged.”
He has now appealed the penalty notice, but his mum believes ‘there has to be a way’ to stop people from getting caught unawares by the system. They also think there needs to be a longer grace period for people to pay the £9 toll. He now faces fines of up to £360.
She added: “Many people are finding the zone confusing. Not everyone is IT literate. How are they supposed to understand it? I don't think there has been enough information out there.”
A spokesperson from Bristol City Council said: “Drivers are fully responsible for managing all Clean Air Zone charges for their vehicle(s). Payment plans are available to help people manage Penalty Charge Notice payments if they are facing financial difficulty. Those who think they have received a Clean Air Zone PCN in error or have mitigating circumstances can submit an appeal . Each appeal will be assessed based on its own merit.”
“Bristol’s Clean Air Zone emissions standards will ensure that the city meets the requirement from the government to bring air pollution within legal limits in the shortest possible time. We have always been clear that drivers should use the vehicle checker before travelling to find out if they need to pay a charge for their chosen route.”
Another motorist fears he might lose his licence after driving through Bristol's CAZ up to 30 times without realising his car wasn't compliant. By the time the first fine landed on his doorstep, he had already racked up huge fines with the council.
A similar frustration between both cases was how long the initial fine took to arrive. And an Easton pensioner says he is forced to drive around a huge detour to avoid paying the fees, which he cannot afford. He says the system is not fit for purpose because he's now using more emissions.
What's been your experience of Bristol's Clean Air Zone? Email darcey.barrett@reachplc.com
Ready to explore more? Follow Curiously on TikTok , Instagram , Facebook and Twitter .
Up Next:
