Humber Bridge fine

[ploddertom]

Re: Humber Bridge fine

I have to agree with wales01man as this is a somewhat different slant on what you first posted.

[Eponine loves Marius]

Re: Humber Bridge fine

Plodderman, What I first posted was totally accurate. I never said she had a full time job near the bridge and lived there. I said she was there at 6am one day to volunteer to do a job that day.

- - - Updated - - -

Thanks Celestine.

[Eponine loves Marius]

Re: Humber Bridge fine

Wales ol Man, They can pursue her all they like. She's not paying. She owns nothing so let them send in the bailiffs. She lives in a one bed rented flat for the elderly. When she was mugged her attackers never had to pay their fine. They just said they didn't have any money as they were on the dole. Well she doesn't have any money either, and is legally exempt from paying the £1.50 to cross the bridge.
The bridge was open to traffic with no-one collecting money. Are you really supposed to stop the car and read signs? You just cross and await a booth where you pay. No booth was open. It was 6am on a Sunday morning.

[wales01man]

Re: Humber Bridge fine

If this gets to Bailiffs and enforcement I sincerely hope not its the hassle and grief that comes with it that will do harm not the loos of money sorry you feel hard done by but they are the bridge toll rules,

I hope your mother gets through this you seem to be doing a good job of trying to sort this IMO its ridiculous that a small charge cannot be waived when a mistake is made but they seem to want to get money at all costs adding fees along the way

[Celestine]

Re: Humber Bridge fine

If this gets to Bailiffs, then we need to ensure that local press are there to bloody film it frankly.

She was driving a fee exempt vehicle, got lost and now is being hounded. Appalling.

[wales01man]

Re: Humber Bridge fine

Agree with Celestine needs a bit of common sense from bridge authority here

[Eponine loves Marius]

Re: Humber Bridge fine

Yeah. I mean it's not like it's a driving OFFENCE to drive across a bridge and not be stopped and asked for money!
She just drove over it and straight back. No one asked for money. And as it was 6am on a Sunday morning she just assumed it was free. Until they started hounding her, saying she should have paid online. But not all elderly people HAVE computers. She doesn't. And how would you KNOW to pay online?
They have been sent evidence of her tax exemption and blue badge, but just say she needed to apply in advance...........
She's not paying! And never opens her door, so bailiffs can't get in! They aren't allowed to break her door down.
The main reason she won't pay is because her muggers never had to pay a penny of their fine. So why should SHE have to pay to cross a bridge that is free for her to cross anyway!

[ploddertom]

Re: Humber Bridge fine

There is something you must be made aware of. If payment continues to go unpaid then it can go to Court where a fine - Level 3, up to £1000 - can be imposed. If this still goes unpaid then a Warrant can be issued to Bailiffs to enforce payment and as it is a Magistrates Court Fine this also carries the power to force entry.

Whilst I can sympathise with the situation there are sufficient signs advising tolls have to be paid. By having driven on a section where there are no toll booths then this is for those who have already paid in advance for their HumberTAG accounts, their is another section for drivers who need to pay at toll booths.

[Turboman]

Re: Humber Bridge fine

Right--as I live locally to the Humber Bridge, I detail below a few items re the bridge toll/tag system
and also my reccomendations re the best local contacts to should Cel wish to use to gain publicity.

Bridge Operation


A---The tolls are on the North Bank only

B---From November last year a number of toll booths were replaced by a free flow TAG system whereby users display a windscreen TAG and the toll cost is deducted from the owners pre-loaded account

C---If going through the TAG lane without a valid TAG, the number plate recognition cameras photograph your car and you are then expected to know you did not have a TAG and to keep logging on to their website to see if your car is listed (usually around 6 days later ) and then pay within 24 hours--else a £15 admin charge is added and demand is then issued by post using address from DVLA number recognition software

D---Once you turn off the main roundabout on the North side, there is no turning back--you are committed to go over the bridge.

E---Signs direct you to use either the Tolls for CASH or use the TAG lanes.--see videos below: 2nd one is joining from the North Bank

I have confirmed with Eponine that her mum entered from the North Bank and within her documentation are 2 photographs of her vehicle with the times printed by the number plate reconition software. These clearly show that there was only enough time to turn round at first slip road on the South Bank and return immediately to the North Bank (2 Admin charges of £15 each added to the toll amounts)


My reccommendations to gain maximum publicity (in prioity order)

1---Local Radio Humberside show "David Burns Show" broadcast daily from 9:00 to 12:00 covering all local issues--last week he interviewed(interrogated more like) the Bridge Board Director after planning applications for a glass lift+Hotel + Office Blocks were rejected despite advance notice they would be rejected if office blocks were included. Callers then rang in with thir views.
He is Broadcaster of the Year x 2 for Yorkshire & Humberside and takes issues & complaints etc straight to the top.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p04dpr07

2---Look North TV nightly with Peter Levy (also BBC Humberside)---bit like Paxman when he gets an issue that is plainly wrong and also goes right to the top.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/england/looknorthhull/peter.shtml


3---Local paper Hull Daily Mail (Angus Young or Ben Blosse) --see here:

http://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/ridic...ail/story.html

4---Local Hessle MP is Alan Johnson (Labour) & just ajoining constituency MP is David Davis (Cons) --- they work brilliantly together on local issues ie BAe Brough

Hope this helps Eponine, Cel & others

Turbs xx

[Celestine]

Re: Humber Bridge fine

Bless you Turbs. Thank you xxx

I spoke to Age UK this morning and they are going to email me something supportive hopefully. Plan is to do a bit of a blog piece around this issue with elderly being forced to use computerised systems and what safeguards exist to protect them. Will see if local media would be helpful, but it is important to protect the identity of the lady, so will have to consider carefully.

[Eponine loves Marius]

Re: Humber Bridge fine

Plodderma, The Citizens Advice have said Bailiffs cannot break down your door.
And her muggers were taken to court and told to pay a fine, but they didn't. They never repaid the money they stole from her or paid the fine.
So If bailiffs don't kick down the door of offenders that owe the courts money, I'd like to see them kick in the door of a one bed rented flat for the elderly and steal possessions off an old woman.....not that she owns anything of value.
As I've said, are you seriously supposed to stop the car in the middle of the road to read signs? You just drive over, expecting to see a toll booth. There wasn't any. She drove over without anyone stopping her.

[Eponine loves Marius]

Re: Humber Bridge fine

Thanks loads Turbo! She simply drove over expecting to be asked for £1.50 at a toll booth. On seeing none, she turned round and came back.
If you've never been there before, and it was 6am on a Sunday, I think it's a reasonable assumption that if no-one stops you for money, then it must be free at that hour.
And they know she is exempt from paying anyway!
I contacted an MP there, a Baroness someone. But she didn't help.
THANKS!

[Eponine loves Marius]

Re: Humber Bridge fine

Thanks Celestine! They just keep saying she should have applied in advance! But they KNOW she crossed by accident.
Had there been someone at a booth on the bridge that said she had to pay as hadn't applied in advance, then she would have paid the £1.50. But NOT £52......& rising by £20 every few weeks.

THANKS.

[ploddertom]

Re: Humber Bridge fine

Plodderma, The Citizens Advice have said Bailiffs cannot break down your door.
And her muggers were taken to court and told to pay a fine, but they didn't. They never repaid the money they stole from her or paid the fine.
So If bailiffs don't kick down the door of offenders that owe the courts money, I'd like to see them kick in the door of a one bed rented flat for the elderly and steal possessions off an old woman.....not that she owns anything of value.
As I've said, are you seriously supposed to stop the car in the middle of the road to read signs? You just drive over, expecting to see a toll booth. There wasn't any. She drove over without anyone stopping her.

In this case CAB are wrong but let us hope it does not come to that. Until such time as you take the time to actually talk to someone this will keep on increasing.

[Eponine loves Marius]

Re: Humber Bridge fine

CAB said they can only get in IF you have opened door or left it open.
They said they cannot kick a door down and enter by force.
If they could, I guess they would do this for CRIMINALS that owe their victims fines.

I have corresponded numerous times with them. How is e-mailing the dept any different to phoning? You can't show evidence of car tax exemption and blue badge over the phone.