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Post by Ivor E Tower on Oct 24, 2023 18:51:18 GMT
Coincidentally I have just seen a story on my Apple News feed about a guy who has been having the same problem with a similar formatted personalised plate, where he has been billed for other folks charges. Like my mate, he has been advised by TFL to remove auto pay. All very odd. I've just been reading about how many foreign registered vehicles are evading fines as we don't have agreements in place with these other countries now we are no longer in the EU. There was also something that said fines were taking a long time to issue in some cases as TRL's agents issuing the fines had to check the details they get fom the DVLA with the digital images of the vehicles to make sure that not only does the plate match, but also the make/model and colour of vehicle. The "partial number plate match" suggests that this matching process is either not being done, or the people doing it can't tell one make/model of car from another and are colourblind |
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Post by John Farrell on Oct 24, 2023 19:25:57 GMT
Coincidentally I have just seen a story on my Apple News feed about a guy who has been having the same problem with a similar formatted personalised plate, where he has been billed for other folks charges. Like my mate, he has been advised by TFL to remove auto pay. All very odd. I've just been reading about how many foreign registered vehicles are evading fines as we don't have agreements in place with these other countries now we are no longer in the EU. There was also something that said fines were taking a long time to issue in some cases as TRL's agents issuing the fines had to check the details they get fom the DVLA with the digital images of the vehicles to make sure that not only does the plate match, but also the make/model and colour of vehicle. The "partial number plate match" suggests that this matching process is either not being done, or the people doing it can't tell one make/model of car from another and are colourblind The "agents" are probably keeping their costs down by not doing the extra checks. Their contracts may not have penalties for the expense involved in investigating and crediting mistakes. |
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Post by dreampolice on Oct 24, 2023 19:45:30 GMT
Coincidentally I have just seen a story on my Apple News feed about a guy who has been having the same problem with a similar formatted personalised plate, where he has been billed for other folks charges. Like my mate, he has been advised by TFL to remove auto pay. All very odd. I've just been reading about how many foreign registered vehicles are evading fines as we don't have agreements in place with these other countries now we are no longer in the EU. There was also something that said fines were taking a long time to issue in some cases as TRL's agents issuing the fines had to check the details they get fom the DVLA with the digital images of the vehicles to make sure that not only does the plate match, but also the make/model and colour of vehicle. The "partial number plate match" suggests that this matching process is either not being done, or the people doing it can't tell one make/model of car from another and are colourblind His weren't fines, he had set up pre pay, so I assume it is all computerised. Vehicle passes camera, plate read (or not) and if it matches a pre pay account, money deducted. he only noticed when money went from his account so he checked the TFL account, knowing full well he hadn't been into London in his car. After speaking to an agent, was informed that he could look at the photos. I assume if there is no pre pay, or the driver doesn't go onto the website to pay, then it will be fine time and someone will look. Maybe not. |
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Post by geoffr on Oct 25, 2023 6:51:27 GMT
All very odd. I've just been reading about how many foreign registered vehicles are evading fines as we don't have agreements in place with these other countries now we are no longer in the EU. There was also something that said fines were taking a long time to issue in some cases as TRL's agents issuing the fines had to check the details they get fom the DVLA with the digital images of the vehicles to make sure that not only does the plate match, but also the make/model and colour of vehicle. The "partial number plate match" suggests that this matching process is either not being done, or the people doing it can't tell one make/model of car from another and are colourblind His weren't fines, he had set up pre pay, so I assume it is all computerised. Vehicle passes camera, plate read (or not) and if it matches a pre pay account, money deducted. he only noticed when money went from his account so he checked the TFL account, knowing full well he hadn't been into London in his car. After speaking to an agent, was informed that he could look at the photos. I assume if there is no pre pay, or the driver doesn't go onto the website to pay, then it will be fine time and someone will look. Maybe not. I know many people think the zone is intended as a revenue generator but the cost of installing, maintaining and operating it must be astronomical, especially given the rate at which cameras are being destroyed. Additionally only a relatively small percentage of vehicles aren’t compliant. Clearly the technology isn’t as good as it needs to be, adding to the cost. One has to wonder what the scheme is achieving? |
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Post by spinno on Oct 25, 2023 6:54:24 GMT
His weren't fines, he had set up pre pay, so I assume it is all computerised. Vehicle passes camera, plate read (or not) and if it matches a pre pay account, money deducted. he only noticed when money went from his account so he checked the TFL account, knowing full well he hadn't been into London in his car. After speaking to an agent, was informed that he could look at the photos. I assume if there is no pre pay, or the driver doesn't go onto the website to pay, then it will be fine time and someone will look. Maybe not. I know many people think the zone is intended as a revenue generator but the cost of installing, maintaining and operating it must be astronomical, especially given the rate at which cameras are being destroyed. Additionally only a relatively small percentage of vehicles aren’t compliant. Clearly the technology isn’t as good as it needs to be, adding to the cost. One has to wonder what the scheme is achieving? Irritating the public? |
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Post by dreampolice on Oct 25, 2023 7:26:26 GMT
I know many people think the zone is intended as a revenue generator but the cost of installing, maintaining and operating it must be astronomical, especially given the rate at which cameras are being destroyed. Additionally only a relatively small percentage of vehicles aren’t compliant. Clearly the technology isn’t as good as it needs to be, adding to the cost. One has to wonder what the scheme is achieving? Irritating the public? It certainly didn’t achieve the objective of cutting down pollution. His car is a 2014 V6 Range Rover. He also has a small electric car. We used the Range Rover to go to London as it was cheaper to use that and pay the ULEZ charge, than trains and tubes for 4 people! |
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Post by spinno on Oct 25, 2023 7:32:42 GMT
It certainly didn’t achieve the objective of cutting down pollution. His car is a 2014 V6 Range Rover. He also has a small electric car. We used the Range Rover to go to London as it was cheaper to use that and pay the ULEZ charge, than trains and tubes for 4 people! One of these days we're going to get a joined up transport policy, I'm sure the unicorns on the sunny uplands and the flying pigs would be amongst those to benefit |
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Post by dreampolice on Oct 25, 2023 7:51:44 GMT
It certainly didn’t achieve the objective of cutting down pollution. His car is a 2014 V6 Range Rover. He also has a small electric car. We used the Range Rover to go to London as it was cheaper to use that and pay the ULEZ charge, than trains and tubes for 4 people! One of these days we're going to get a joined up transport policy, I'm sure the unicorns on the sunny uplands and the flying pigs would be amongst those to benefit I know it can’t be cheap to run a rail service, but take our trip as an example. For 2 of us to travel to Woking, their nearest station, would have been £199 (for specified trains) or £225 for an off peak any train. It would have taken just over 3.5 hours. It took us 4 hours to drive and less than a tank of fuel for the BMW. That costs me around £80 (average MPG for the drives was around 52) No incentive to train it if there is more than one person. |
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Post by peterba on Oct 25, 2023 8:37:08 GMT
I know many people think the zone is intended as a revenue generator but the cost of installing, maintaining and operating it must be astronomical, especially given the rate at which cameras are being destroyed. Additionally only a relatively small percentage of vehicles aren’t compliant. Clearly the technology isn’t as good as it needs to be, adding to the cost. One has to wonder what the scheme is achieving?
Errmm..... improving air quality (albeit marginally) by dissuading the worst polluters?
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Post by geoffr on Oct 25, 2023 8:56:45 GMT
One of these days we're going to get a joined up transport policy, I'm sure the unicorns on the sunny uplands and the flying pigs would be amongst those to benefit I know it can’t be cheap to run a rail service, but take our trip as an example. For 2 of us to travel to Woking, their nearest station, would have been £199 (for specified trains) or £225 for an off peak any train. It would have taken just over 3.5 hours. It took us 4 hours to drive and less than a tank of fuel for the BMW. That costs me around £80 (average MPG for the drives was around 52) No incentive to train it if there is more than one person. No apparent incentive. However, if you factor in depreciation, insurance, maintenance and consumables (tyres etc.) it might look different. Having said that it is probably still cheaper and more convenient to drive. If you have a car it makes no sense to leave it on the drive, it depreciates almost the same as if you use it and you have to get to the station some how. As I have said previously, our infrastructure is designed around personal transport, short of razing the whole country and starting again we can't return to public transport very quickly. I live within walking distance of a railway station, the cheapest off-peak fare to central London (Marylebone) is £16.90. By driving 6 miles* I can use the Underground at £3.50 each way with a daily cap of £14.90. A joined up transport network would be really nice but as long as the railways (Chiltern Line in my case) are run for the benefit of the share holders it can't happen. I am not in favour of general nationalisation but essential services need to be run for the benefit of the country.
*There is a closer station but the one we use has the benefit that we can park for nothing.
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Post by andy on Oct 25, 2023 11:07:10 GMT
I know it can’t be cheap to run a rail service, but take our trip as an example. For 2 of us to travel to Woking, their nearest station, would have been £199 (for specified trains) or £225 for an off peak any train. It would have taken just over 3.5 hours. It took us 4 hours to drive and less than a tank of fuel for the BMW. That costs me around £80 (average MPG for the drives was around 52) No incentive to train it if there is more than one person. No apparent incentive. However, if you factor in depreciation, insurance, maintenance and consumables (tyres etc.) it might look different. Having said that it is probably still cheaper and more convenient to drive. If you have a car it makes no sense to leave it on the drive, it depreciates almost the same as if you use it and you have to get to the station some how. As I have said previously, our infrastructure is designed around personal transport, short of razing the whole country and starting again we can't return to public transport very quickly. I live within walking distance of a railway station, the cheapest off-peak fare to central London (Marylebone) is £16.90. By driving 6 miles* I can use the Underground at £3.50 each way with a daily cap of £14.90. A joined up transport network would be really nice but as long as the railways (Chiltern Line in my case) are run for the benefit of the share holders it can't happen. I am not in favour of general nationalisation but essential services need to be run for the benefit of the country.
*There is a closer station but the one we use has the benefit that we can park for nothing.
FWIW in Scotland under 21s (or is it under 22s) get free bus travel and the buses aren't nationalised so stuff like that can work. Making public transport free seems like the first step and then take space away from cars to tip the balance further in favour of public transport over time. |
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Post by daves on Oct 25, 2023 11:52:47 GMT
Actually having public transport would help. Out here in the sticks a car is pretty much a necessity.
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Post by spinno on Oct 25, 2023 11:57:29 GMT
Actually having public transport would help. Out here in the sticks a car is pretty much a necessity. That is the major issue, a lack of public transport serving the remote (in some cases not even out of town) areas. Plus the fact that people are so used to cars taking them from a to b, they seem to have lost the use of their legs, so a walk of more than 100 yards seems like an ultra-marathon for some |
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Post by daves on Oct 25, 2023 12:04:12 GMT
Last Friday when I had to go to Dorchester hospital the car journey took me under 30 mins, to get there by bus I would have had to take one bus away from Dorchester to Bridport, then get a second bus from Bridport to Dorchester. I'm not sure whether the X51 actually goes anywhere near the hospital.
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Post by MJB on Oct 25, 2023 12:13:44 GMT
Last Friday when I had to go to Dorchester hospital the car journey took me under 30 mins, to get there by bus I would have had to take one bus away from Dorchester to Bridport, then get a second bus from Bridport to Dorchester. I'm not sure whether the X51 actually goes anywhere near the hospital. Likewise here to Salisbury. Our bus service is every two hours, so a trip to Odstock hospital will invariably be a six hour round trip. The RUH at Bath would be worse as it requires two changes. Id love to use public transport, it's not the cost but the viability of getting anywhere that's the issue. |
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