No council review of Bristol’s Clean Air Zone signs despite complaints

Council chiefs have confirmed there are no immediate plans to review the size, positioning and number of signs warning motorists about Bristol’s Clean Air Zone, despite a deluge of complaints from drivers who claimed they missed them.

But the city council did say that if ‘specific issues are identified’, then the location and visibility of particular signs or entrances to the Clean Air Zone will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, to see if they continue to meet Government guidance.

There are more than 400 individual signs notifying motorists they are heading towards, entering or are in the Clean Air Zone, which charges drivers £9 for a car or van and £120 for a lorry, and fines drivers if they don’t pay up to £120, with some signs miles from the edge of the zone.

Read next: Driver racks up almost £1,000 in Clean Air Zone fines in friend’s car without realising

But of the many complaints from drivers finding themselves being fined – particularly drivers who live some distance from Bristol – is that they didn’t see the signs, or if they did, they didn’t know what they meant.

Bristol Live has highlighted a number of cases, including one driver from London who borrowed a friend’s car and travelled to visit family in Bristol over Christmas and the New Year, only to find months later that he had incurred fines of almost £1,000.

Nick Gillett said: “On my visits to Bristol I had no idea a Clean Air Zone was in effect, or indeed what that name referred to. I may well have driven past signs for it, but without any further information – and given that it has a different name from the London version I’m used to – I didn’t know it existed, let alone what would happen were I to fail to pay its fees on time.”

Other drivers say there is a particular issue on certain approaches to the Clean Air Zone, with several drivers complaining about the descent from Wells Road into Totterdown, where the Clean Air Zone begins after the last turn-off onto St John’s Road.

Many have been caught out driving to Bristol Airport, particularly those coming off the M5 at Avonmouth and following the signs to the airport onto the Portway, which leads drivers into the Clean Air Zone with no escape route.

There are signs on the M5 to the airport, but no signs on the motorway warning about the Clean Air Zone – something Bristol City Council requested, but Highways England rejected.

Driver Bill Martin, from Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, was one of those caught out by this. He followed signs for Bristol Airport that led him into the Clean Air Zone. “This signed route makes no mention of the route channelling vehicles to go through the CAZ zone and hence a payment of £9 is required to use it,” he told Bristol Live in December.

“There is a perfectly acceptable route to the airport on the opposite side of the river, which goes via Ashton Gate and misses the zone. Surely if the objective is to reduce pollution in the zone, then the signage to the airport needs to change to avoid the zone – the objective here is to reduce pollution, isn’t it?

“I feel I have been mugged here as the signage is at fault. I had no intention of adding pollution to the Bristol zone when I was simply visiting Bristol Airport to pick up passengers and simply followed the signage route,” he added.

Alan Green was another local motorist caught out by the CAZ – he knew that there is a Clean Air Zone, but not where it started, and entered it at the Winterstoke junction close to Ashton Gate Stadium, coming from Bower Ashton.

“There are neither advance warning signs or direction signs before entering the Clean Air Zone,” he said. “The only sign is actually on the entry point to the CAZ on the slip road, too late to avoid entering,” he added.

Mr Green appealed against his fine, but his appeal was turned down. Bristol City Council say the signs all comply with the Government guidelines on size, style, number and location, and it’s up to drivers to make themselves aware of where the Clean Air Zone starts.

Trevor Wright and his partner, from Suffolk, made a weekend break in Bristol out of the Bristol City v Norwich City match in February – and six weeks later got two fines for the two days. “I never saw any signs, my partner never any signs and like I say we had absolutely no idea whatsoever,” he said.

A spokesperson for Bristol City Council said: “There are over 400 individual signs placed around the city to inform and warn motorists of the Clean Air Zone in operation. Bristol’s Clean Air Zone emissions standards will ensure that the city meets the requirement from government to bring air pollution within legal limits in the shortest possible time.

“Drivers are fully responsible for managing all Clean Air Zone charges for their vehicle. Payment plans are available to help people manage Penalty Charge Notice payments if they are facing financial difficulty. Those who think they have received a Clean Air Zone PCN in error or have mitigating circumstances can submit an appeal. Each appeal will be assessed based on its own merit.

“We’ve followed the Government’s guidance and requirements for Clean Air Zone road signage but if specific issues are identified, we will undertake a review of signage at those locations to see if they continue to meet Government guidance,” he added.

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