Currently, Congestion Charges only exist in London and Durham, however clean ... and Widnes in Cheshire, and all motoris
PENALTY HOTSPOTS AVOID UNWANTED MOTORING CHARGES
05.2018 - Q20531
1 With the cost of driving getting more and more expensive, unexpected costs like parking fines, congestion charges and speeding tickets are very much unwelcomed by motorists and fleet managers. Charges and penalties are easily avoidable, however innocent mistakes can happen, resulting in motorists having to fork out what can often be a big lump sum of money. Read our top advice and tips on how to avoid unnecessary motoring charges and penalties as a result of congestion charges, speeding fines and parking tickets:
Britain’s Speeding Ticket Hotspots With tougher speeding fines now in force, motorists now face paying hundreds of pounds more for speeding offences. There are many ways that motorists can be caught and penalised for breaking the speed limit – fixed speed cameras, average speed cameras, mobile speed cameras – and with technology always improving, the cameras are now getting more and more accurate, leaving less leeway when it comes to the distribution of speeding tickets. The new speeding fines came into effect in April 2017, and the penalties that motorists receive is now based on their individual income. Divided into three separate bands, the severity of the fine is based upon the speed the motorist is travelling at, for example: Band
MPH zone
Speed motorist is travelling at
A
30MPH
31-40 MPH
Penalty
• 50% of your weekly income • 3 points on license • 100% of your weekly income
B
30MPH
41-50 MPH
• 4 points on license OR • Disqualification from driving for up to 28 days
C
30MPH
Speeds exceeding 51 MPH
• 150% of your weekly income • 6 points on license OR • Disqualification from driving for up to 56 days
2 The most severe fines are capped at £2,500 for those caught speeding on the motorway, and £1,000 on any other road. Motorists who are disqualified for driving for more than 56 days are also required to apply for a new licence before they’re able to start driving again. Driving in unfamiliar locations can often be quite daunting, especially if you are unsure of the speed limit and locations of potential speed traps/cameras. Take a look at the U.K’s speeding ticket hotspots to discover where you are most likely to be caught and always remember to familiarise yourself with the speed limits of unknown roads: West Yorkshire – 142,619 speeding tickets distributed Nearly 150,000 speeding tickets were handed out to motorists in 2017 within West Yorkshire – a 56 percent increase compared to the next highest region. Not only did police in West Yorkshire hand out the highest amount of speeding tickets in comparison to other regions across the U.K., they also wrote a ticket for the highest speed – a motorist travelling at 160mph in a 70mph zone. Surrey - 62,623 speeding tickets distributed In 2017, it was reported that 62,623 speeding tickets were dished out to motorists in Surrey, making it the second highest region in the U.K. Albeit, the Police Force that serves the County situated in southeast England distributed half as many tickets as West Yorkshire, the figure is still quite alarming. One motorist was caught travelling at 150mph in a 70mph zone. West Mercia – 62,503 speeding tickets distributed West Mercia police serve Hereford, Worcester and Shrewsbury and reported that 62,503 tickets were distributed in 2017 across the areas. Although it is still a high number, it is actually a 27 percent decrease compared to the amount of speeding fines handed out the year before (2016).
Congestion and Toll Charges Currently, Congestion Charges only exist in London and Durham, however clean air zones are being considered by other larger cities across the U.K, with Cardiff, Greater Manchester and Leicester amongst that list, in a bid to reduce pollution and improve the city’s air quality.
London Congestion Charges The London congestion charge, which Transport for London (TfL) is responsible for, is one of the largest congestion charge zones in the world. The system was set up with the aim to reduce traffic exhaust fumes and is enforced between 07:00 and 18:00 Mondays to Fridays. London inner ring road forms the boundary of the Congestion Charge Zone (CCZ), meaning that any areas inside this road are included. The ring road itself is not part of the zone. The Congestion Charge for motorists driving a vehicle within the chargeable zones costs between £10.50 and £14.00 – dependant on whether you pay in advance or by midnight the following day. Motorists will be sent a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) for £160 if they fail to pay the Congestion Charge, which will need to be paid within 28 days. A 50% discount is applied if you pay within 14 days.
3 Who is exempt from paying? • Blue Badge holders (formerly known as Orange Badge) - disabled people, or institutions for
disabled people • Residents living within the congestion charging zone (must register for their 90% discount) • Drivers of alternative fuel vehicles • Vehicles with nine or more seats • Drivers of roadside recovery vehicles • Accredited breakdown organisations/vehicles • Ultra-Low Emission Discount (ULED)
Mersey Gateway Bridge Opened in 2017, the Mersey Gateway Bridge is a six-lane transport system connecting Runcorn and Widnes in Cheshire, and all motorists using the crossing must pay a toll charge: Type of Vehicle
One-off/Unregistered Charge
Motorbikes, emergency service vehicles and local buses
Free
Cars
£2
Vans and small lorries
£6
Larger lorries and coaches
£8
Drivers can also benefit from pre-payment schemes and opt for monthly passes which will reduce the costs compared to the full toll. There are no toll booths on the bridge, so the charge can be paid in advance or drivers have until midnight the following day of using the bridge to pay the charge, failure to do so will result in a PCN. The initial fine of the PCN is £40, however this increases to £60 if it is not paid within 28 days – on top of the original toll charge. An automatic number plate recognition is in force and motorists can pay the toll charge either online, by phone or at a Payzone outlet which are located at various locations across the U.K.
Dartford Crossing The Dartford Crossing is a major crossing of the River Thames and has an average daily use of over 130,000 vehicles, making it one of the busiest crossings in the U.K. Motorists are required to pay a ‘Dart’ charge when using the Dartford crossing – this is payable either in advance or on the day (you cannot pay at the barriers). If you do not pay in advance, you must remember to pay the charge by midnight the day after you cross to avoid receiving a £70 fine. The penalty charge notice is reduced to £35 if paid within 14 days but will increase to £108 if you do not pay it.
4 The Dart charge can be paid for by phone or post (you must set up an account to do so) or by cash at your nearest Payzone store. Those who set up an account and pay through that receive a slight discount compared to paying the one-off payment: Vehicle class
Type of vehicle
One-off payment
One-off/ Unregistered Charge
A
Motorcycles, mopeds and quad bikes
Free
Free
B
Cars (including trailers), motorhomes and any minibuses that have 9 or less seats (including the driver’s seat)
£2.50
£1.67
Motorists living in Dartford or Thurrock are entitled to a local resident discount but must apply for this online or by post.
Who is exempt from paying? Disabled motorists driving a vehicle that’s exempt from vehicle tax do not need to pay – the vehicle will automatically be checked, so the driver does not have to do anything. The Dartford Crossing is also free to use between 10pm – 6am for all motorists and vehicles.
Durham Congestion Charges Durham Congestion Charges were set up in an attempt to reduce the heavy traffic flow driving through the historic city centre as well as to establish safer and more charismatic streets for residents and tourists alike. The Congestion Zone covers popular landmarks and attractions like the Durham peninsula the home of the historic World Heritage site of Durham Cathedral and Castle - as well as the Durham Market Place, Durham University colleges and numerous businesses. It operates from 10.00am to 4.00pm Monday to Saturday (excluding bank holidays), with a daily charge of £2.00, and is enforced by an Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system. Vehicles which are subject to the charge are identified and motorists face a £50.00 penalty charge notice. The following vehicles are automatically exempt from Congestion Charges enforced within Durham: • Bicycles, mopeds and two-wheeled motorbikes • Emergency service vehicles • Vehicles delivering or collecting postal packets on behalf of universal service providers • Durham Country Council vehicles • Disabled persons using powered wheelchairs or scooters
Further information regarding vehicles that are not automatically exempt from the Congestion Charges enforced by Durham County Council can be found here.
5 Parking Fines Hotspots It’s very likely that at some point in their time of driving, every motorist has had the unfortunate experience of being hit with a parking fine - whether it was for parking somewhere you shouldn’t have, failing to show a valid parking ticket, or displaying an expired ticket. For the majority of the time, parking fines are a result of an innocent mistake, so it is important to be extra vigilant when it comes to parking your vehicle in order to avoid hefty fines. Parking fines brought in more than £24million in London in just three months, which is not surprising when considering that statistics show that traffic wardens were pouncing as quickly as 12 minutes after tickets ran out. Predictably the area with the most parking fines distributed was London – an astonishing 160 percent increase compared to Glasgow – the second highest area in Britain. In 2017, 58,994 penalties were handed out to motorists in Edinburgh, accounting for 65 percent of the whole of Scotland. Take a look at Britain’s hotspots for parking fines and remember to be extra vigilant if you ever find yourself parking in these cities: City
Hotspot
No of parking fines handed out
London
Shaftesbury Avenue and Great Windmill Street
549,009
Edinburgh
George Street
58,994
Glasgow
St Vincent Street
33,693
Birmingham
Alum Rock Road
32,991
Leeds
South Parade, Central
23,734
How to avoid further charges It’s worth checking your ticket as you can often reduce the fee by half, simply by paying it within 7 or 14 days, depending on your local council. If you feel as though you have been issued with a ticket unfairly, you should also consider appealing against it. You have 28 days to challenge a parking fine and will have to explain your reasoning behind why you deem the PCN to be ‘unfair’. Make sure you’re not caught out by something as simple as misunderstanding a parking bay sign, as they can be unclear. Also, there is often a divide between the permit holders section and the area for all other motorists to park in, which is not always obvious.
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