Got issued a fine after being directed into the congestion charge zone by a police officer/traffic diversion. I didnt even know i had entered the zone, it can only have been by 50 metres then i drove down another road and dtraight back out.

Disputed the fine as i'd gladly pay if i had meant to enter the zone (and have done on other occasions) but i reasoned i had been forced to by the police so said i shouldnt pay. My route did not involve going into the zone.

Congestion charging people say theres no record or a traffic diversion when i said there was.

So i have to pay or go to court.

Any advice?

How can i prove/get evidence of the diversion. I know the dates and street names etc.....

Thanks,Nath.

Anyone?

have you rung the local police force that dealt with the diversion? They might be able to confirm whether one was set up or not.

If you really want to fight it, instead of just paying however much it is, then I'd advise on getting some legal representation.

Might be easier just to pay and be done, though.... How much is it for?

Mice <-- who never goes into London if she can avoid it. :D

when traffic reports on the radio have said that people have been directed into the zone, they will be exempt from paying the charge as long as they leave the zone as soon as possible.

A mate of mine went into the zone, although he knew he'd entered, he saw no sign of how to pay, and wrongly assumed he'd get a bill in the post, well, he did! with a fine! he tried to make a stand by saying that there were no signs telling him how to pay, and the fine just got bigger, and bigger, and bigger, he ended up having to pay over a grand!!!!!
Apparently there is no way to fight the fine, I guess that due to the large numbers of people going in and out, if we all stopped paying, then they wouldn't be able to cope with all the court time, so they don't deal with any disputes, my advice would be tp pay up, even though you may have been told to go that way, I for one wouldn't want to pay a grand, just because no-one could remember a road diversion, it could be that it was a very short lived diversion due to an accident or something.
I hope this helps, and you sort the mess out!

Ron.

Cheers, it was a short lived divsesion hence they have no record of it :rolleyes:

It takes the piss, i used to be a law abiding motorist but in the last year i've got 3 points for going through a red light when i didnt but the arsehole officer couldnt get me on anything else so lied. Now this.....whats the point in abiding by the law when you just get fcuked over anyway while all the scum/criminals get away with it.

They paly this game all the time......
In some parts ..they have stopped traffic turning left or right at junctions to force them into the zone for less than 20 yards so they can Take the next turning out of the zone. Some have asked why the no turning signs where put up..... no answer!!£££££££

get a layer and fight them all the way the only reason these things happen is because they know most people just pay up

find other people who are contesting the charge get the papers on to it sure if you rock the boat enough they will just make the fine go away

i would have stopped the car and brought everything to a standstill :D

I had a similar incident with a speeding ticket recently - was sent notice of prosecution etc for a speeding offence which occurred when I was 2 counties away.

Sent the lot back with a letter telling them to jog on.

They eventually replied with a letter of apology for their error.

End of the day - all these schemes are run at big admin centres, who will make some mistakes. Would you accept a bank charge when you know you are in the wrong?

Write to an MP or Tosser Blair himself. Make sure you put in the letter about how people are expected to be law abiding citizens when even the government law enforcement agencies are on the fiddle themselves..

They was diverting people into the zone the day before I was in London on the Marylebone road. If they try to divert me into the zone next time I am in there then I will refuse!

[Edited by dazc2 - 11/22/2003 7:43:13 PM]