Congestion zone PCN.

[mrzigazaga]

Hi

Not sure if I'm in the right place but would like to know if anyone has had similar and what the outcome was, Or can offer any legal advice on the matter.


This morning 04/03/17 I received a PCN that states a congestion zone contravention took place in Upper Woburn Place, London on the 29/09/16...The letter is dated the 01/03/17 so is around 6 months out already?.

Now I was totally unaware of a run through London on that day and was forced to take the route directed by Westminster council/police etc when I came back from Warwickshire via the M4...

The embankment was closed and so were most of the bridges going across the Thames to the south east of London.

Normally I would of travelled along the embankment on the outer edges of the zone where a charge does not apply.

If I was intentionally in this area and didn't pay the congestion charge then I would just pay it but this seems a little unfair to me...

What say you?

Thanks


Ziga

PS: I have contested this.

[Red Devil]

mrzigazaga said:

Normally I would of travelled along the embankment on the outer edges of the zone where a charge does not apply.

the embankment? Do you mean Victoria Embankment? That's well within the Zone. As are all of the bridges between Vauxhall Bridge and Tower Bridge.
If Vauxhall was closed you could simply have headed back upstream to Chelsea Bridge and crossed there.
Heading in to London via the M4 and wanting to head south across the Thames, it makes no sense to head in the opposite direction.
Which you would had to have done to reach Upper Woburn Place which is just off Euston Road - https://goo.gl/maps/yZTbgvgPyF62

[mrzigazaga]

Here is a map of the current congestion charge zone, My route is on the border so do not need to pay.

Its a shame they are not so good at informing people that they didn't need to pay and here is your money back...I did this route for 3 months and paid the charge..Did I get a letter offering me the money back...Did I fuk!!

I travelled up from Kennington, across Vauxhall bridge and then along the Chelsea embankment...Up through Earls court and onto the M4 from the A4....Great West Road.

The reverse normally brings me back through A3320 Earl's court but there were diversions in place on the Westway..

I had to come across Lambeth bridge as all the bridges to the left were closed.


Thanks for the input, I have contested it anyway so will see what happens...Sorry to of bothered anyone.


Regards


Ziga

[bigandclever]

mrzigazaga said:

a congestion zone contravention took place in Upper Woburn Place, London on the 29/09/16...The letter is dated the 01/03/17 so is around 6 months out already?.

Only just over 5 months, no?

[Red Devil]

mrzigazaga said:

My route is on the border so do not need to pay.

Its a shame they are not so good at informing people that they didn't need to pay and here is your money back...I did this route for 3 months and paid the charge..Did I get a letter offering me the money back...Did I fuk!!

It was a bit rich blaming TfL for your not knowing where the zone boundary is. They don't have a crystal ball to know where you are planning to go.

mrzigazaga said:

I travelled up from Kennington, across Vauxhall bridge and then along the Chelsea embankment...Up through Earls court and onto the M4 from the A4....Great West Road.

The reverse normally brings me back through A3320 Earl's court but there were diversions in place on the Westway..

Ah, it's beginning to make sense now. Your original post said this.

mrzigazaga said:

...when I came back from Warwickshire via the M4...

I presume you meant the M40 which would be the logical route from Warwickshire.
That might explain how you ended up in Upper Woburn Place. M40 -> A40 (Westway/Marylebone Road/Euston Road).
However it would mean that both of these routes south from Westway would have had to be closed.
https://goo.gl/maps/tWcYYq5coJE2
https://goo.gl/maps/erzXBnwunks
Quite astonishing if that were the case during the hours when the charge operates.

A tip for anyone else who misses this exit (or finds it is unexpectedly closed) - https://goo.gl/maps/Tw7RR8oZyHt
This is how you can get back on track to Marble Arch and Park Lane without breaching the boundary.
Park Cresecent is not in the Zone. Turn right into it (at the first entrance), follow it round then turn left back along Marylebone Road.
https://goo.gl/maps/s7QJhzTCWjB2

mrzigazaga said:

I had to come across Lambeth bridge as all the bridges to the left were closed.

Once you had strayed into the Zone it wouldn't make a blind bit of difference where you crossed the river.
Whether you went all the way downstream to the QE2 bridge at Dartford or upstream to Kemble in Gloucestershire!

Best of luck with your challenge btw.