I’ve been fined £1,800 in 7 weeks over a simple mistake and MORE could come

A DRIVER has been hit with fines totalling £1,800 in just seven weeks for a simple mistake.

Amir Iqbal, 37, changed the number plate on his car almost two months ago and has since been hit with 15 Clean Air Zone fines.

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The architect had been driving his Mercedes 2002 SLK across the Birmingham city centre from his home in Perry Barr to work in Longbridge since May.

But when he started using a private number plate on the same car, he was slammed with a series of penalty notices.

With each fine totalling £120, which drops to £60 if paid in 14 days, Amir is looking at an £1,800 bill – with the driver worried he’ll face even MORE penalties while he waits for the issue to be resolved.

He told Birmingham Mail: “It’s given me stress because I’m doubting my purchase. I double checked (the Mercedes) was compliant.

“I’ve got to get the dates all right and I’m told it might take four to six weeks to respond and in the meantime they will send more.”

Clean Air Zones were installed in cities so tax charges could be brought to the most polluting cars.

But Amir is adamant he ensured his Mercedes was compliant by comparing if the same vehicles on AutoTrader before he made the purchase in May.

He said: “I drove it for a month from Perry Barr to Longbridge, through the Clean Air Zone and there was no problem. I then decided that at the end of May I would put my private reg on the car.

“I got the confirmation from the DVLA and on June 2nd, I put the reg on the car. The first fine came the next day.”

Amir says he called the council after the first fine and has been told to challenge each ticket.

He explained: “That’s a waste of my time because the issue is with the DVLA and council systems.

“In the meantime, I’m still getting more fines. I’m told it’s automated.”

Adding to his frustration, he says he faces a waiting time of 50 minutes each time he tries to speak to a council representative about the issue.

Birmingham City Council does not comment on specific cases but encourages anyone who feels they have been wrongly assigned a penalty to go through the appeals process.

A spokesperson said: “We do not comment on individual cases but anyone who gets a Penalty Charge Notice has the right to challenge if they believe there is an issue or factors which mean they should not have received it.”

The city’s clean air zone came into action in June 2020 to combat air pollution.

Public Health England claim there are between 28,000 and 36,000 deaths a year attributed to long-term exposure.

It is also the biggest environmental threat to health in the UK and is a major cause of diseases such as asthma, lung disease and strokes.

Drivers can check online if they will be charged when driving through clean air zones.

The Government launched an online tool to allow Brits to find out if their motors meet the emissions standards for Birmingham and Leeds clean air zones.

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