A driver who was unaware he had passed through Bristol's Clean Air Zone got a nasty shock when he received two penalty notices. Colin Gunney, from Swindon, said he had not driven to Bristol for around five years and followed signs from the M5 to and from Bristol Airport back in April.
Around six weeks after coming home from a holiday in France the said he received the two fines one week after another, reports Bristol Live. Frustrated that there are no grounds to appeal, he has been forced to pay both fines as his car was non-compliant. He said: "You come off the M5 following signs to the airport and if there are signs for the Clean Air Zone, I didn’t spot them. If you haven’t seen them, you get no option but to pay the fee.
"It was at least five years since I drove into Bristol. I thought I can’t go back and check. I am annoyed that the first I knew about the CAZ was when I received the notices so had no opportunity to pay the fee." Mr Gunney has suggested there should be signage advising on optional routes to the airport - where a driver would either go through the CAZ or a second route to avoid it.
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Others heading to Bristol Airport airport have previously made the complaint. In December Cheltenham resident Bill Martin said he "felt mugged" after being directed by signage from the M5 into the CAZ when he had travelled to the airport to collect passengers.
When exiting the M5 at junction 18, drivers head down A4 Portway, which runs alongside the River Avon. It is on this road - which people from Wales heading to Bristol Airport could potentially drive down as well - that the first CAZ signs appear warning motorists they are approaching the zone.
There are limited alternatives leave Portway or to turn around. At the time, Mr Martin said the signage "makes no mention of the route channelling vehicles to go through the CAZ zone and hence a payment of £9 is required to use it" and pointed out "there is a perfectly acceptable route on the opposite side of the river which goes via Ashton Gate and misses the zone."
Signage on the M5 is overseen by National Highways and a spokesperson for the organisation said: “The Department for Transport (DfT) and National Highways have jointly developed clear guidance on the appropriate use of signs in local areas. This advises against unnecessary sign clutter to ensure directions remain clear for drivers.
“In this case Junction 18 of the M5 is several miles from the Clean Air Zone and signs are already appropriately placed on the A4 before the zone begins. Any changes to the number of signs on the strategic road network for Bristol’s Clean Air Zone will be a matter for the local authority to discuss jointly with National Highways.”
A section on Bristol Airport’s website offers advice about the CAZ and includes a map which shows the CAZ borders in Bristol. Bristol council said there are more than 400 individual signs in place around the city, warning motorists of the zone.
But it has confirmed if specific issues are identified, a review of signage would take place at those locations. After Mr Martin complained in December, it had asked National Highways and the Department for Transport to consider the signage on the M5 with specific regard to Bristol Airport, but said its request was declined.
A spokesperson for Bristol City Council told Bristol Live: “Bristol’s Clean Air Zone emissions standards will ensure that the city meets the requirement from 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.
"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 and each appeal will be assessed based on its own merit," said the spokesperson.
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