Congestion Charge :(

dacouch

There are lots and lots of signs as you enter central London from the M1 routes that the Congestion Charge Zone in X miles ahead and lots of signs (As well as a massive "C) when you enter into the charging zone. As you went to UCL I guess you drove along the Euston Road which is on the perimeter of the charging zone. Every road that went off entering the charging zone would have had a sign and a "C" on the road. The road signs giving you directions also indiciate if an option on a future turn off goes into the charging zone.

The traffic in that area during the charging time and at most other times would be very slow so you would have plenty of time to see the signs.

Here is a google map street view of the Euston Road, I assume your sat nav made you turn onto the A4200. If you drag and drop the gold man on to the corner of the A4200 and Euston Road you can see the sign you missed when you turned onto the A4200.

You are right it is definately plural of the Congestion signs you missed, you would have driven by many warning signs and many many signs warning that if you turned off the Euston Road to the south you would be entering the charging zone
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&tab=wl

Coblcris

chalkie99 wrote: »

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:

I strongly deprecate the quoted post.

Do NOT ignore TfL Penalties.

Shafted_2

Thanks for the advice. It's good that some can give objective advice without spouting nonsense.

Coblcris wrote: »

I strongly deprecate the quoted post.

Do NOT ignore TfL Penalties.

dacouch

Pointing out to you that there are numerous signs along the route you travelled is not nonsense, it is stating a fact.

You have no chance of arguing the fine on the basis you have not seen the signs so you need to take the advice everyone has been giving you and pay the fine

adouglasmhor

Shafted wrote: »

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?

It wasn't English you were teaching then?

Leached.

And no I am not a traffic warden, I am a Local Government Officer, I do have a post grad diploma and both a B.Sc. and a B.A.(hons).
Possibly you're not thick just self centred and arrogant then.
I will change my advice though Pay up or go to court and lose, you are even less likely to be believed there and it will cost you more and have a good cry as well.
You lectured at Uni but don't have enough of a pension or a good enough job to shell out a couple of hundred quid after ignoring one of the most publicised money making schemes of the last decade. You really screwed up somewhere didn't you. :T :rotfl:

Viper_7

Interestingly - none of those signs are in the highway code.

Are the legal?
Is the letter size correct?
Is the placing correct?

adouglasmhor

Shafted wrote: »

We didn't see any of those signs!

Why've you highlighted part of my post?

That's the hours you say you moved your car at as compared to the controlled hours on the signs you managed to avoid looking at. you can see that you were in the zone in controlled hours. If you had entered the zone after 6pm and left it before 7am - you wouldn't be asked to pay up.

adouglasmhor

Viper_7 wrote: »

Interestingly - none of those signs are in the highway code.

Are the legal?
Is the letter size correct?
Is the placing correct?

They are legal and the power to apply the charge is from the Greater London Authority Act 1999 not the highway code or road traffic act.

Comstock

I've got sympathy for the OP as well, but not much more to offer I'm afraid. I do think the Uni should have advised parents about the charge in the welcome pack though.....not that that will wash with TfL.

Complaining to the uni might help others avoid your situation but that's about all



A personal letter to Boris is the only other thing I can suggest- he has made vague noises about the unfairness of the penalty system in the past, and other politicians have suggested a policy of 'three free goes' in the congestion charge zone . No chance of your money back, but it might help reform the system in the future.....

knowloads

I crossed a set of lights (at one of the bridges) realised I was going into the zone and and only turned around within 15ft of the line...... still got the fine! One year later backed off the main road into a side street that was C zone to turn around...... got the fine. Bought a motorbike...... Oh yes. 1st time in London after is all started, I asked 5 people, (2 wardens, one postman, 1 garage attendant, one Frenchman) how to pay the thing....... only the Frenchman could answer, but I don't speak french.