Congestion Charge :(

DrScotsman

What is wrong Dr is that why would I even consider doing that?

You knew you entered the congestion charging zone. Surely you found it strange that there wasn't a place to pay. What could you have possibly thought? A sensible person who knows nothing about the charge would not think that because there isn't a usual method of paying it then there's no charge at all!

Do you think someone who goes to a restaurant for the first time in his life thinks that since he didn't pay before hand (like in a fast food place) he doesn't have to pay at all? Does someone who buys a new build house and doesn't get letters from utility companies assume that electricity and gas is free?

If I drive on a toll road I pay at the booth.

You know London isn't the only place in the world with systems like this. I know there are toll roads in the US with this exact system, they must be all over the world.

I have never come across a system where you don't know how much

You missed the sign, as everyone has pointed out to you.

or what to pay

As someone who until recently NEVER watched news, I somehow knew. And like I said you should have found out for yourself after being confused about not knowing where to pay.

and there is a penalty before you have accepted or refused to pay the bill.

You accepted the bill of £8 by going into the zone during the times - both on signs you somehow missed.

BTW the sign I saw was on the motorway on an elevated section just before the end of the M1. We weren't sure whether it was relevant.

Not sure what you're saying, if the road is slightly raised a sign doesn't count?

I feel like I've entered a parallel universe where there are people who plan parking before they set off on a journey. Everyone I've mentioned it to up here are shocked at what has happened.

Well for a start you're on MoneySavingExpert.com, the only way to have a good chance of getting the cheapest parking is to plan, there is no way you can leave it on the day.

Secondly, (and you must be a wind up now), you can't assume there's ANY parking in a city centre before going there, let alone London, which I assume has the most red routes per square kilometre than any other place in Britain. A HUGE majority of people with cars will rule out driving into London for many reasons including how complicated just parking will be, it's so bad that two "Parkway" train stations have been built in the Midlands purely for people to park and ride to London. Obviously you HAD to drive in due to your son's belongings, but surely the fact that most people are so cautious about driving in London would have made you think twice before just plodding in.

Maybe it's a North / South thing.

*facepalm*

I've lived in the North, the real North and the Midlands, and I can tell you it is nothing to do with North/South.

kai666

I can't imagine how many warnings and signs you must have driven past, they are everywhere, and include the cost, distance and operating times. Not to mention the huge c's on the road as you approach.

The traffic in london moves so slow, and there are that many, i can't see how you can miss them.

My fear is getting into the wrong lane, and entering the c zone by mistake

Crabman

Shafted wrote: »

What can I do?

I'd suggest you ask on the Pepipoo.com forums for advice on appealing TfL's PCN (be prepared to scan and upload the PCNs whilst obscuring any personal/vehicle details). Although I would say I think Neil B mentioned a while ago that the TfL PCNs are pretty watertight. For this reason make sure you keep in mind the deadline to pay at the discounted rate.

Still - you won't lose anything in asking on Pepipoo and you'll hopefully receive sensible responses without being judged.

adouglasmhor

Shafted wrote: »

What a group of pontificating self righteous responses.

Lots of assumptions. Most of them totally wrong.

I did not know I had to pay a congestion charge. As I said I thought it was to do with peak time etc. this belief was validated by the fact that I drove through London a few months previously and did not get a bill.

I've visited London several times over the last few years and never seen anything about congestion charges or how to pay. Maybe because I wasn't looking, but if I didn't know about it I wouldn't look would I. When I told my son who has now been down there over a week he didn't know what I was talking about. He has seen or heard nothing about it.

I certainly didn't know I had to pay in advance and I would get a Penalty charge for not doing so or I would have paid it. (expletives self deleted). :mad:

You must be thick then - it has been all over the news, all over the papers and there are signs. I am surprised you are allowed to drive never mind post on the internet.

adouglasmhor

dacouch wrote: »

If you drove through London previously and did not get charged you must have not entered into the charging zone and / or it was out of the charging time.

If you were not looking you must have missed a lot of signs advising the charging zone was coming up and when you entered into it.

There are lots of place you can pay the charge, newsagents (In and outside of london), the website and post offices etc

Shafted wrote: »

My wife and I took our son to UCL last week.

We've just received 2 penalty charges for not paying the congestion charge.

We knew nothing about this and there were no signs about it anywhere. I wouldn't have a clue where to pay a congestion charge.

I paid on street parking charges when I parked before 6pm (daylight robbery 40p for 5 mins) and then moved to a car park before 8am the following morning. The streets mentioned, one I stopped for a minute to ask where I could park, the other I didn't park or stop on at all.

What can I do?

Pay up or go to court and lose, you are even less likely to be believed there and it will cost you more.

Shafted_2

We didn't see any of those signs!

Why've you highlighted part of my post?

adouglasmhor wrote: »

Pay up or go to court and lose, you are even less likely to be believed there and it will cost you more.

Shafted_2

When I was lecturing at Uni most of my students got good degrees, they must have leeched my traffi sign recognition brain cells out of me.

You a traffic warden?

adouglasmhor wrote: »

You must be thick then - it has been all over the news, all over the papers and there are signs. I am surprised you are allowed to drive never mind post on the internet.

Shafted_2

Plural - that's at least 24 then.:rolleyes:

dacouch wrote: »

I drove down the M1 into central London last week, there are literally dozens of signs warning that you are approaching the congestion charging zone, there are also plenty of warnings as you drive into an actual charging zone. Being London you are driving at slow speeds so have plenty of time to see and read the signs

chalkie99

This is appalling!

Not one of you has had the good grace to tell the OP what he wants to hear :rolleyes:

I would highly recommend you just ignore the fines then let us know what happens later.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

kai666

Shafted wrote: »

We didn't see any of those signs!

I guess you'll look harder next time you come!

I think you'll have a very hard time convincing anyone that you didn't know there was a congestion charge, and that you didn't see any signs.