Man fined £1,300 over Birmingham Clean Air Zone despite never driving in city
A man from Wolverhampton has received 11 fines from Birmingham's Clean Air Zone despite never having driven in the area.
The fines total more than £1,300 have been coming since the beginning of October and show no sign of stopping despite a clear case of mistaken identity.
Peter, who asked for his surname not be published, initially thought his plate had been cloned, however after reviewing the evidence attached to the fines he realised this was not the case.
The fines are being caused by an issue with the number plate recognition camera that captures vehicles as they enter the zone.
A car with the same registration plate as Peter's car, apart from one character, is being logged incorrectly due to a black screw connecting the plate to the car.
The troublesome screw is causing a 'D' on the unknown drivers plate to be read as a 'B', perfectly matching Peter's registration.
Peter now says the issue is affecting his mental health and he just wants it to be rectified.
The Clean Air Zone launched in June and charges motorists to travel within the city centre if they drive high-polluting vehicles.
This includes diesel models built before 2015 and petrol models built prior to 2006 due to the higher levels of nitrogen dioxide they produce.
Cars, taxis and vans are charged £8 for entry, while buses, coaches and heavy goods vehicles will be charged £50.
The penalty charge for not paying the required clean air zone charge in time is £120, reduced to £60 if paid within two weeks.
A Birmingham City Council spokesperson said Peter needed to apply online to challenge the fines - despite the fault being the council system.
They said: “If a driver receives a PCN and believe this may be in error, they are advised to submit a challenge through the online portal or in writing.
"The council takes every effort to respond as quickly as possible and, where possible, will take into account any other compelling reasons to cancel the PCN.
"Support is available for people who live and work in the city centre and our teams continue to process applications for temporary exemptions and financial support. More information about the support available, can be found at www.brumbreathes.co.uk."
"We continue to encourage all drivers to check if their vehicle is subject to the daily fee and if it is to pay the fee within the 13-day payment window or consider more sustainable forms of transport, especially for shorter journeys."
Peter is not the first to encounter issues with the Clean Air Zone. In September a driver who lives 160 miles away from Birmingham received 19 fines totalling £2,280 despite never using it.
Ruth Costello, 57, said: “I have never driven in Birmingham in a vehicle I own. I am all for a Clean Air Zone, it’s a fantastic idea. But I can’t be the only person who is having this experience."
In another incident, David Harris, a volunteer ambulance worker, was fined for driving through the Clean Air Zone while moving a patient from West Yorkshire despite paying the charge.
Speaking at the time, Mr Harris said: "Their system is up the spout. I am wondering how many other people have had problems with this as well."
In October, a road safety officer was fined for driving through Birmingham's Clean Air Zone despite paying the fare on time.
