CAZ is a stitch-up, claims campervan owner
Campervan owners in Bath have been caught out by a last-minute change to which vehicles can be charged in the clean air zone.
Steve Huggins, 58, has a Volkswagen Transporter, kitted out with beds, seats, a cooker and a fridge. He checked it online before the scheme began and was told it was exempt.
Mr Huggins has twice been fined for driving in the clean air zone, which came into effect on March 15, but says he will not be paying them. A government rule change two weeks before the zone came into effect means that a small number of vehicles that were previously compliant with the scheme now incur charges. He said: “When I first looked it was exempt because it is a PLG, but now I’ve had fines in the post. The first time I checked it, it said I was exempt and the DVLA said they hadn’t changed it.
“Something is going on and it’s unfair in my opinion - who is stitching up the people with campervans? I am waiting for the clean air zone team to reply to me and I am refusing to pay the fines until they do.”
Mr Huggins’ campervan was registered in 1996 and cost him £6,500 when he bought it for working away from home.
Jill Field, 67, from Oldfield Park has also been affected by the change to the rules for campervans. She has a 1991 VW campervan and checked it online twice before the zone came into force.
She said: “I went on the government website to check my campervan and it came up with ‘free in Bath.’ I know that because it said it would be charged £13 or something in Birmingham, and because our son is in Solihull, I said ‘we had better be careful if we go up there.’
“Then we checked it again before it started and it was still fine, but now it’s been charged. We have been using it on a regular basis and we have got five charges, adding up to £45.
A B&NES Council spokesperson said a late change of rules by the Government on clean air zones had affected a small group of vehicles previously incorrectly identified as being compliant.
They added: “The council was only made aware of the impact of this change after the launch of the CAZ. We have been writing to the owners of these vehicles who failed to pay for their journeys.
“We have waived all outstanding charges since March 15, and no fines have been issued. We are also exempting these vehicles from charges for a further 10 days so that owners have some time to consider their options.
“We have interest free finance and grants of up to £4,500 per van available to help drivers replace non-compliant vehicles.”