Birmingham CAZ fine for Euro 6 Diesel
Birmingham CAZ fine for Euro 6 Diesel
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adilkhalifa

Original Poster:

48 posts

158 months

Yesterday (09:14)
quotequote all
About 2 months ago, I happened to be in Birmingham and go through the CAZ. A few weeks later, I received a fine stating that my car wasn't CAZ compliant and I'm liable for this charge.

This is strange as the car in question was a 2015 Audi A6 2.0 TDI Ultra, the car is Euro 6 with adblue. However, when I checked on the .Gov ULEZ checker, it states the car is compliant in all zone but liable for a charge in Bristol & Birmingham.

I've appealed the fine with a COC to Birmingham council, however this was kicked back on the basis the .Gov checker states the car is liable for a fine.

Since the initial fine has come through, I did sell that car and it's also been put on a private plate.

It's also worth noting, I travel to Uxbridge occasionally which is within the ULEZ area and never had an issue there.

I'm really confused and not sure where to go next.

Simpo Two

89,229 posts

281 months

Yesterday (09:24)
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Sounds like Birmingham has special rules and you got caught by them. Motoring is a minefield and more mines are laid every year so eventually you can't avoid hitting one. I think you'll just have to view it as an extra tax and move on.

itcaptainslow

4,153 posts

152 months

Yesterday (10:00)
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Odd - I've just checked my parents' Euro 6 Volvo and it's exempt from charge in all low emission zones - as you'd expect.

adilkhalifa

Original Poster:

48 posts

158 months

Yesterday (10:29)
quotequote all
It's definitely odd, I've checked the logbook from the car and the Euro status is blank.

I think I'm going to attempt to take this to traffic penalty tribunal and if the charge stands I'll suck it up.


Jobbo

13,397 posts

280 months

Yesterday (11:04)
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If you check car registrations from Auto Trader it's obvious that even a 2014 A6 2.0TDI Ultra should be compliant and not be charged. I had a 2016 Allroad with Adblue; that was introduced for the minor facelift where it became Euro 6 and a 2014 Allroad shows as chargeable in Bristol and Birmingham. So it's an error from when your car was originally registered. Euro 6 diesel cars should be free in all zones.

Best of luck proving it when you no longer have the car.

Robertb

2,767 posts

254 months

Yesterday (12:12)
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Sometimes cherished plate transfers can cause problems with records.

E-bmw

11,134 posts

168 months

Yesterday (13:21)
quotequote all
adilkhalifa said:
About 2 months ago, I happened to be in Birmingham and go through the CAZ. A few weeks later, I received a fine stating that my car wasn't CAZ compliant and I'm liable for this charge.

This is strange as the car in question was a 2015 Audi A6 2.0 TDI Ultra, the car is Euro 6 with adblue. However, when I checked on the .Gov ULEZ checker, it states the car is compliant in all zone but liable for a charge in Bristol & Birmingham.

I've appealed the fine with a COC to Birmingham council, however this was kicked back on the basis the .Gov checker states the car is liable for a fine.

Since the initial fine has come through, I did sell that car and it's also been put on a private plate.

It's also worth noting, I travel to Uxbridge occasionally which is within the ULEZ area and never had an issue there.

I'm really confused and not sure where to go next.
Just a point of note from your post.

I stress that I have not checked but wondered because of you calling them 2 different things.

Is a CAZ the same as a ULEZ?

drmike37

554 posts

72 months

Yesterday (13:37)
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It must be the private plate. My 2015 Discovery is only EU5 and is exempt in Birmingham.

Another reason why I think private plates are just more work.

paul_c123

952 posts

9 months

Yesterday (13:39)
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adilkhalifa said:
I'm really confused and not sure where to go next.
Not Birmingham.

adilkhalifa

Original Poster:

48 posts

158 months

Yesterday (14:40)
quotequote all
E-bmw said:
Just a point of note from your post.

I stress that I have not checked but wondered because of you calling them 2 different things.

Is a CAZ the same as a ULEZ?
CAZ is clean air zone
ULEZ is Ultra Low emission zone

As far as I'm aware they're the same but just different names for Birmingham and London

adilkhalifa

Original Poster:

48 posts

158 months

Yesterday (14:41)
quotequote all
paul_c123 said:
Not Birmingham.
Very good point biglaugh


adilkhalifa

Original Poster:

48 posts

158 months

Yesterday (14:43)
quotequote all
drmike37 said:
It must be the private plate. My 2015 Discovery is only EU5 and is exempt in Birmingham.

Another reason why I think private plates are just more work.
It's not had a private plate on it for sometime and not in my ownership.

Although, interestingly, The car spent a lot of time in Northern Ireland and the Euro status on the logbook was also left blank so I wonder if that had anything to do with it.

paul_c123

952 posts

9 months

Yesterday (15:17)
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Having not been fined for driving through the CAZ in Birmingham, I don't know what's sent to you and what the "or else" part of the process is, if you don't pay the fine (appeal or not). Can you look at the documents you've received and tell us?

adilkhalifa

Original Poster:

48 posts

158 months

Yesterday (15:37)
quotequote all
paul_c123 said:
Having not been fined for driving through the CAZ in Birmingham, I don't know what's sent to you and what the "or else" part of the process is, if you don't pay the fine (appeal or not). Can you look at the documents you've received and tell us?
Initially, it's a letter to state where and when the offence took place, how to pay the fine, appeal the fine and what happens if you don't pay the fine within 28 days.

After appealing the fine, I've now received a Notice of Rejection of Representations. This has most of the same information as above, however the appeal now has to take place with the Traffic Penalty tribunal who are independent adjudicators.

Robertb

2,767 posts

254 months

Yesterday (15:46)
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Your best bet is to get hold of a Certificate of Conformity for your car from Audi to present in the appeal. This will show the Euro status.

E-bmw

11,134 posts

168 months

Yesterday (15:52)
quotequote all
adilkhalifa said:
E-bmw said:
Just a point of note from your post.

I stress that I have not checked but wondered because of you calling them 2 different things.

Is a CAZ the same as a ULEZ?
CAZ is clean air zone
ULEZ is Ultra Low emission zone

As far as I'm aware they're the same but just different names for Birmingham and London
I know what they stand for, I was just asking in case they were actually different things as I live/travel nowhere near any of either of them.

motco

16,695 posts

262 months

Yesterday (16:01)
quotequote all
The whole thing is puzzling. You'd expect a 23 year old petrol fuelled BMW Z3 to be charged or a19 year old V8 Audi RS4 but they are both compatible. Instinctively that seems barmy.

TomTheTyke

415 posts

163 months

Yesterday (16:09)
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Don’t know about he Birmingham zone, but a chap on the Rover 75 forum did lots of research on the London ULEZ.

Basically compliance is judged on the only thing they’ve got ‘consistent’ data on which is the NOx figure on the logbook. Of course, the further back you go the less consistent, plus manufacturers didn’t know this would become so crucial.

It turns out my R75 is not ULEZ, while others with the same engine but an auto box are, while others had the NOx figure blank from new, and there is now no manufacturer for a certificate of conformity.

Oddly, my dad’s 6.2 C63 AMG is ULEZ compatible, but yes the NOx figure is clearly lower on the logbook.

paul_c123

952 posts

9 months

Yesterday (16:52)
quotequote all
TomTheTyke said:
Don t know about he Birmingham zone, but a chap on the Rover 75 forum did lots of research on the London ULEZ.

Basically compliance is judged on the only thing they ve got consistent data on which is the NOx figure on the logbook. Of course, the further back you go the less consistent, plus manufacturers didn t know this would become so crucial.

It turns out my R75 is not ULEZ, while others with the same engine but an auto box are, while others had the NOx figure blank from new, and there is now no manufacturer for a certificate of conformity.

Oddly, my dad s 6.2 C63 AMG is ULEZ compatible, but yes the NOx figure is clearly lower on the logbook.
Surely when it comes down to enforcing a penalty, compliance is judged upon the black and white written legislation, and the evidence presented in court at the time. I checked up on the Birmingham CAZ and its quite simple - it says "Euro 6" for a diesel. So all the OP has to do is prove its a Euro 6 car. Its what the car IS, not what the V5 says it is, or what the dealer recorded it as. Euro 6 is proven by showing the car's Certificate of Conformity which will link that individual car to the Euro 6 requirement of the time.

trevalvole

1,520 posts

49 months

Yesterday (17:12)
quotequote all
motco said:
The whole thing is puzzling. You'd expect a 23 year old petrol fuelled BMW Z3 to be charged or a19 year old V8 Audi RS4 but they are both compatible. Instinctively that seems barmy.
They are primarily to address air quality issues caused by the likes of NOx and particulates, not climate-change-causing gasses like CO2. So big, old petrol engines are fine as long as they don't produce much NOx or particulates.