A man says he may have to sell his home after driving into a Clean Air Zone (CAZ) 30 times without realising. Clean Air and Ultra Low Emission Zones charge drivers for entering certain areas in a bid to cut pollution.
Henry Franklin says he drove into a CAZ 30 times after getting a new car, and was hit with thousands of pounds in fines before he knew he had done anything wrong.
Henry drove through a CAZ in Bristol while commuting to work in February and March and getting £4,000 in fines was the first he knew of the fact his car would trigger penalties. He now drives around the CAZ - creating a much longer commute and much more pollution, reports BristolLive.
He said: "I felt angry, frustrated and tired when I realised I was going to be fined. This new system is confusing for a number of reasons."
He says the area chosen for the CAZ is sparsely populated and has only been selected to generate fines, and the fact you don't get a fine until days after you drive through creates confusion.
Henry said: "I felt frustrated because I bought a new car to get to a new job and despite my best efforts, the council has designed a system that is difficult to understand."
He added: "I live paycheque to paycheque. If all these fines are upheld, I’m looking at roughly £4,000 to pay. That will certainly mean I have to sell my car and quit my job. It will also likely mean I have to sell up and leave Bristol. I hasten to add, though, that I’ve appealed every PCN I’ve had so far, but the council hasn’t yet acted on them."
Daily charges for cars in the CAZ will set you back £9 if you pay ahead, signs are in place to warn motorists they are about to enter the area. The total cost of driving in Bristol's CAZ without paying is £129 per day.
Bristol City Council is reviewing the 'case and the appeals' made.
