A builder received 51 driving fines in a day after he repeatedly drove down a residents-only road - leaving him with a £6,000 bill. John Barrett, 54, says he accrued the charges over a five-month period - but they were all delivered to his door earlier this month.
He got a message from shocked wife Lisa, also 54, after more than 50 letters arrived - containing fines adding up to £6,350. John says the charges - which cost £130 a time - have been issued because his trips to the gym see him drive up a residents only road in Chiswick, west London.
But the dad-of-three claims that he has a permit which allows his Tesla to use the route without penalty - and the fines have been issued incorrectly. Irritated John says he has had to fire off emails corresponding to each letter to Hounslow Council, who he claims would not accept a blanket response.
He said: "It's ridiculous, no warning or anything. No letter to say you've been caught on camera driving on this road and we don't think you should be. It’s incredible. Imagine if I was someone really vulnerable. Not to mention that my permit allows me to use that road.
"The cost to the tax payer must have been massive - each notice has three screenshots of my car. The time it takes them to print out those screenshots and put the letter in the envelope would cost a fortune.
"All they had to do was put my registration into their computer and they’d see I had a permit. This has taken so much of my time."
John says the traffic system in his area has changed rapidly in the last couple of years, with a surge in residents only roads and cycle lanes. He believes errors may have occurred because changes were made too fast and without warning.
John says he was given seven penalties last year for driving to the gym, and replied to each one explaining he had a permit - but never heard back. Summing up the latest situation, he said: "What a waste of money.
"Two in five people are living in poverty here, and so many of us are worried about how to pay the bills at the moment. It's such a stress and it's not okay to give people no warning, and I have 28 days to pay but they get 56 days just to reply to an email.
"It's maddening. What are they doing that they need 56 days to write an email? I respond to over 50 emails a day."
A Hounslow Council spokesperson said: "Restrictions to access on Hartington Road are designed to reduce through traffic on residential roads, thereby improving air quality and safety for pedestrians and cyclists.
"Prior to the introduction of the restrictions, over 8000 vehicles passed through this road on an average week, consisting of mostly non-residents.
"Registered vehicles, belonging to local residents, are prevented from receiving penalty charges by using number plates and addresses which are checked to validate exemption.
"Unfortunately the lease company for Mr Barrett’s vehicle had provided incorrect address details meaning the exemption was not applied and penalty charges became valid.
"All charges have been cancelled."
