The Mayor of London’s money-making Extremely Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) has gone down like a lead balloon with many motorists because it was expanded in late August final yr.
There have been ‘honk in case you hate ULEZ’ demonstrations in London whereas greater than 1,000 ULEZ cameras have both been broken or stolen. But Sadiq Khan has not been for turning.
The scheme, designed to restrict dangerous air pollution (actually?), signifies that anybody with a non-compliant automobile should pay a day by day £12.50 price to drive inside London. Failure to pay the cost promptly can lead to a nice of as much as £180. Some 60,000 automobile homeowners – of petrol automobiles registered earlier than 2006 and diesel automobiles registered earlier than 2015 – are paying the day by day cost.
Louise Matz, an accountant from Pinner in North-West London, has paid greater than £300 in ULEZ costs because the scheme was launched. To make sure she by no means obtained fined, she arrange an ‘auto-pay’ account with Transport for London (TfL).
In January, she determined sufficient was sufficient and bought her ULEZ non-compliant Kia for a compliant Nissan Micra. The Driver and Car Licensing Company duly notified her that she was not the proprietor of the Kia. Not sure as as to whether she had any excellent ULEZ costs, she saved open her account so that they may very well be paid from her checking account.
Signal of the instances:Â There have been ‘honk in case you hate ULEZ’ demonstrations in London whereas greater than 1,000 ULEZ cameras have both been broken or stolen
Final Tuesday, Louise obtained her month-to-month ULEZ assertion for February and was shocked to find that she had incurred a £12.50 cost on February 5 – ten days after disposing of her Kia.
The supporting digicam image confirmed her automobile on a transporter lorry in Enfield, North London – presumably on its strategy to be auctioned. Having efficiently challenged a earlier cost as a result of a ULEZ digicam confused the ‘C’ on somebody’s else’s quantity plate with the ‘G’ on hers, she assumed she would haven’t any downside overturning the £12.50 invoice.
However, bizarrely, TfL mentioned she was nonetheless answerable for the nice. It’s because she had not eliminated the Kia from her auto-pay account on the time it was caught on digicam.
In its letter to Louise, TfL mentioned: ‘We’re unable to make an adjustment/provide you with a refund as we’ve got reviewed the automobile picture and imagine that the cost has been raised appropriately.’
What utter tosh. We already know that the ULEZ scheme is unfair, extensively disliked and a tax on many hard-working folks.
What Louise’s expertise highlights is that the scheme is operated by folks whose sole obligation is to boost as a lot income as attainable for TfL. Frequent sense simply would not get a glance in. When you’ve got carried out the identical as Louise and jettisoned your non-compliant ULEZ automobile in favour of 1 that will get Mr Khan’s seal of approval, remember to take away your outdated motor from TfL’s auto-pay service.
I’ve taken up Louise’s case with TfL and can report again once I get a response. Hopefully, TfL will see the insanity of its methods and refund Louise the cash it had no proper to take from her.
The sensible buildings you possibly can financial institution on…Â
A giant thanks to all these beautiful readers who’ve taken the difficulty over the previous few days to appoint their most eye-catching financial institution department – nonetheless open, closed (for good) or repurposed.
This follows a visit earlier this month to Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, the place I stumbled upon a powerful HSBC department whose roots return to 1810 when it was the house of Stratford Outdated Financial institution. An imposing Victorian gothic constructing which to at the present time nonetheless takes the breath away.
A few of the photos you despatched in of native branches have been jaw-dropping, confirming simply how essential they as soon as have been to the communities they served. Many have been – and stay – grandiose buildings, dominating the streets.
Though house prevents me from exhibiting all these splendid examples of architectural banking excellence, three caught my eye. The primary is Royal Financial institution of Scotland’s flagship department in St Andrew Sq., Edinburgh – put ahead by 49-year-old actuary Kirsten Watt who lives in Perth.
Kirsten used to work for the insurance coverage arm of RBS, in a constructing near the department. ‘I beloved getting in there at lunchtime,’ she recollects, ‘and marvelling on the measurement of the banking corridor, its dome ceiling and decorative design. I by no means obtained bored of it.’
Excessive life: (From prime left down) RBS HQ in Edinburgh, Rainham’s The Grasping Banker, NatWest in Burslem, and proper, Arnold Bennett
Whereas Kirsten misplaced her job underneath the madcap reign of RBS boss Fred ‘The Shred’ Goodwin, she quickly discovered employment at a rival monetary companies firm. She provides: ‘Just a few Christmases in the past, I went again to the department with one in every of my two daughters and was blown away once more. It is a incredible constructing, inside and outside.’
The previous house of service provider Sir Lawrence Dundas, the constructing was acquired by RBS slightly below 200 years in the past. Its magnificence means it’s an integral a part of strolling excursions across the new city. Whether or not it stays integral to RBS’s ever-dwindling department community, solely time will inform.
The second is the imposing NatWest department in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, a listed constructing which has been empty since 2017.
Resident Carol Gorton says the gothic-style department, that began life because the District Financial institution in 1870, typically featured within the novels of native author Arnold Bennett who wrote prolifically between the Nineties and Thirties. Carol, secretary of the 200-member sturdy Arnold Bennett Society, says Burslem (Bursley in Bennett’s novels) has now misplaced all its main banks. ‘It’s struggling on many ranges,’ says Carol who’s busy organising the society’s annual Arnold Bennett Day in June. ‘Empty outlets dominate. The NatWest constructing and the outdated Lloyds department level to a previous when the world was thriving.’
Lastly, retired charity employee Jill Sidders, who lives simply outdoors Sittingbourne in Kent, tells me that the outdated Barclays financial institution in close by Rainham is now a pub referred to as The Grasping Banker. ‘The financial institution did not have any architectural benefit,’ she admits, ‘however the identify change was meritorious. I’ve by no means been contained in the pub, however I do have a quiet chuckle to myself at any time when I stroll previous it.’
Thanks for all of your photos and emails.
‘Debt Consciousness Week’ goals to assist these with cash worries
Nobody likes to speak about private debt. Most individuals ignore it, hoping it’ll miraculously go away. In fact, it would not. Sadly, issues with paying down debt are on the rise as many households’ funds are being stretched to breaking level.
Bank card debt – and rates of interest – proceed to rise whereas mortgage arrears at the moment are at a seven-year excessive.
It’s subsequently well timed that charity StepChange (stepchange.org) will tomorrow launch its tenth ‘Debt Consciousness Week’.
The overriding message that the charity desires to drill house is that these scuffling with debt mustn’t bury their head within the sand. They need to search recommendation.
If you’re in such a place, PLEASE heed its essential message.
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