Nice trip to Amsterdam ruined by Bristol City Council

discountguy1969

I went Amsterdam about a month ago setting off from my home in South Wales.

28 days later I received a PCN for (unknowingly) driving through Bristol Clean Air Zone.

4 days later I received another one for my return drive home. 

Is there any merits for an appeal.

both PCNs arrived exactly 28 days from the camera spotting my car, so I can’t see a way forward but £69x2 plus more if the appeal fails has made me sick. I feel like I’ve been caught in a scam because I was genuinely unaware.

Any advice or help would be appreciated.

(Image removed by Forum Team)

DE_612183

Try here: https://www.ftla.uk/ they do better with this type of ticket.

la531983

Is your vehicle exempt? 

Clean Air zones have been all over the media.

Mark_d

Not being aware of the rules doesn't usually excuse you.  I've been caught in a bus lane before because I honestly didn't know which way I was supposed to go.

DE_612183

https://www.ftla.uk/civil-penalty-charge-notices-(councils-tfl-and-so-on)/bristol-city-council-clean-air-zone-code-17j-using-vehicle-without-paying-camera/msg74432/#msg74432

soolin

Recently despite setting the sat nav to go via motorway on a journey it re routed us through Bristol and we did panic as we drove past the warning 'clean air zone' notices. We passed several in the course of our journey but luckily when we checked online via the government site we were exempt - so just in case of the unlikely event they made an error, check your car needs to pay. We did it via the official Government site. 

We will definitely be going out of our way to avoid Bristol in future, what with the low speed limits that kept changing, endless no go zones, bus lanes, strange road signs and dozens of notices and direction boards it wasn't fun. We live in London, but I think Bristol is worse for the amount of different restrictions.

Exodi

Reported as images contain personal information - OP take down the images and re-upload redacted if you feel they're relevant (unlikely as this forum generally helps with charges issued by PPC's, not council issued PCN's).

Alderbank

Yes, do that, ftla are good, but before you do that edit your pictures (both of them) so that your name and address and car reg. no. are not in clear public view.

When you say 'It must be a scam' is that because you were in Amsterdam and so not driving on Hotwell Road at that time and date or because your vehicle is compliant with the Bristol CAZ?

Edited to add:
I've just looked at the Bristol CAZ checker.
No charge for your car in several CAZ cities including nearby Bath but unfortunately you are liable for the charge in Bristol.

Keep_pedalling

A better title for this thread would be 

Nice trip to Amsterdam ruined by me not noticing ruddy great signs (twice) 😈

https://www.bristol.gov.uk/residents/streets-travel/bristols-caz/clean-air-zone-signage

Car_54

“Genuinely unaware” = not reading the signs.

Thread title should read “spoiled by bad driving”.

lordmountararat

My sister was caught out by innocently following diversion signs after the M5 was closed following an accident. She wrongly assumed that allowance would be made in these circumstances. The M5 in Somerset is often closed following an accident, breakdown, bridge jumper etc.