Pensioner who 'got lost in London' slapped with £800 in Ulez fines for single journey
The 82-year-old has had a four-month dispute with Tfl over the charges
Hippopx/PA
A pensioner who got lost in London during the rush hour was charged over £800 in Ulez fines.
Roger Watts, 82, challenged Transport for London (TfL) after he was hit by the hefty fine for a single journey he took earlier this year.
He has been in a four-month dispute with the organisation after he was charged for three separate emission fines.
Watts was driving down to Dorset from Norwich in May, when his sat-nav directed him into the capital.
The Ulez was expanded on August 29 PA“My sat-nav played up and took me straight into London and I got caught up in what can only be described as bedlam," he said.
"I haven't been in London since the 70s, so when I got lost, I just didn't have the experience to get out and ended up going through three Ulez zones.
"I saw the Ulez signs but I just couldn't break the traffic and get out.
"It also added nearly five extra hours to my journey - from roughly four hours to about nine hours - and £300 worth of diesel too."
Watts was driving his 2009 Seat Atlea to go and collect a caravan from Dorset.
The pensioner received a letter three weeks later informing him of the charges.
Watts must now pay a staggering £810, which he said he cannot afford.
Since he received the bill, TfL has increased the fine, and there’s no guarantee it will stay at this amount either.
The 82-year-old said: "I've been told the fines will keep going up, so it's not finished yet.”
He has tried to appeal the charge but to no avail so far.
"The only thing I can do is try and get some help, so I've been to Citizens Advice who have given me some contact details for a legal team,” Watts said.
ULEZ LATEST:
Hundreds of drivers have protested the expansion of the Ulez sign PA"It's very stressful as I can't raise the sort of cash needed to pay and it's taking up so much of my time trying to sort this.
"However, I'm going to fight it to the end - these big companies assume no one can touch them - but they'll have to take this all the way."
Sadiq Khan’s controversial scheme was expanded last month, now affecting all motorists driving into London.
Drivers now have to pay a £12.50 daily fee if their vehicle is non-Ulez compliant.
The charge will hit petrol vehicles introduced earlier than 2005 which are not compliant with Euro 4 emissions regulations.
Diesel cars and vans are only exempt if their engine complies with Euro 6 rules, which were introduced in September 2015.
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