An 'angry' man has blasted Bath's Clean Air Zone's layout after being fined £273 for travelling 100 metres. Justin Clifford claims he had been "forced" into the zone by roadworks on the high street - and the zone's map hasn't been designed properly.
He was dropping his children to school at the time and had to take a different route. Part of his diversion took him approximately 100 metres into the Clean Air Zone. He drives a van, which is eligible for a £9 daily charge, reports Somerset Live.
Mr Clifford said: "I was taking my children to school. They go to Oldfield Park Infants and normally I go by Twerton high street. However, in March last year, there were roadworks at the Arches, so I had to go a different way.
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"I went up Shophouse Road and along Moorland Road, before turning down Brougham Hayes. None of that route is in the zone, except for a tiny little part at the bottom of Brougham Hayes.
"I had to turn left there, onto the Lower Bristol Road, and I was in the zone for all of 20 seconds, then I came back out. I used to be a chimney sweep and stove installer, so I still have the van from that and my son is autistic so it's a lot easier to drive him to school."
Shortly after straying into the zone, Mr Clifford received a fine of £60 plus the £9 charge. He said that, although he would not have minded paying the daily fee, £69 "seemed really unfair".
The dad-of-two then moved house and "forgot all about" the penalty charge notice. That was until a few days ago when he got a nasty shock.
"A fine for £273 arrived. I was pretty angry and I didn't want to pay it, but in the end, I had to, because I didn't want bailiffs turning up at my door.
"I think it's ridiculous because whoever designed the map didn't do it properly. Why is this tiny patch at the bottom of Brougham Hayes in the zone? It doesn't make sense. It's the same with the Sainsbury's petrol station - it's in the zone, so I can't shop there.
"As well as that, I work with a guy whose van is older than mine and he was meant to be getting a grant to buy a new one, but then the council ran out of money, so now his van is exempt. How can it be one rule for him and another for me?" Mr Clifford asked.
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