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Original poster

Who knew you had to pay to drive in Birmingham?????

232 replies

NichyNoo · 21/08/2021 14:14

Went to Birmingham recently for a weekend mini break. Received a penalty notice in the post today as apparently Birmingham is a clean air zone and you’re supposed to know this and pay £8 per day to drive in the city. I’m guessing another fine is in the post for the Sunday when we drove out of Birmingham. We didn’t see this advertised anywhere so no idea how we were supposed to know - two fines of £120 Shock I know about the london congestion charge but do any other cities have this charge to drive so we don’t get caught out again?

OP posts:
Hen2018 · 21/08/2021 14:17

Only if you drive a big, petrol guzzling car.

Sparklingbrook · 21/08/2021 14:17

Birmingham City Centre was my old stomping ground, but they'd have to pay me to drive around it these days, I didn't know they now had a charge now. Sad

DismantledKing · 21/08/2021 14:19

There’s literally signs everywhere

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Driving & parking
NeverTalkToStrangers · 21/08/2021 14:19

It’s sixty quid not 120 quid per day if you pay up immediately, so only half as bad as you though but still a nasty shock I imagine.

Other towns which have this are Bath and (soon) Portsmouth, for future reference.

JuneOsborne · 21/08/2021 14:19

They've spent a fortune on road signs that tell you. And advertising campaigns, but I bet they don't go beyond the greater West Midlands area.

It's shit though, when you get caught out like this. I hope you had a good time? (Meant nicely, but it reads weirdly sarcastically and that's not my intention!)

NotMeNoNo · 21/08/2021 14:19

Usually there are signs up, didn’t you notice any?

Oldraver · 21/08/2021 14:20

Ive just looked this up and Bath and Portsmouth apparently

I only checked as we occasionally go to Birmingham and I hadn't heard anything from my Brummie friends

I really thought our car would come under the charge but it doesn't Shock

MissyB1 · 21/08/2021 14:20

I only live 45 minutes away and I had no idea either! Mind you I catch the train there as it’s a bloody nightmare to drive around anyway isn’t it?

iglpgl · 21/08/2021 14:21

I don't live near there, but apparently there are signs denoting the Clean Air Zone.

www.brumbreathes.co.uk/info/25/welcome-2/1/welcome-1/3

Who knew you had to pay to drive in Birmingham?????
Sparklingbrook · 21/08/2021 14:22

I've just put in my car and DH's but neither would be charged. What are you driving @NichyNoo?

Original poster
NichyNoo · 21/08/2021 14:22

We’ve got a 2013 estate car. Not gas guzzling or large by any means. We drove in on the dual carriageway leading from the M6 and didn’t see a single sign.

OP posts:
tiredanddangerous · 21/08/2021 14:22

I live in Birmingham. There are many signs.

Unfortunately it seems to have done fuck all to reduce the amount of traffic round the city centre.

DismantledKing · 21/08/2021 14:23

@NichyNoo

We’ve got a 2013 estate car. Not gas guzzling or large by any means. We drove in on the dual carriageway leading from the M6 and didn’t see a single sign.
You need to be more observant. There’s signs all above the carriageway on the Aston Expressway from the M6 into town.
tapihomeware · 21/08/2021 14:25

Sorry what? The clear air thing is public knowledge, it’s all anyone has been talking about in recent months

If you’ve been away from Birmingham for so long that you were unaware, it’s your fault. There were plenty of warnings for residents

Original poster
NichyNoo · 21/08/2021 14:25

Thinking about it I saw one sign (similar to posted above) saying that there was a clean air zone 90 yards to the left but we drove ahead and never passed a sign saying that we were entering a clean air zone Sad

OP posts:
Original poster
NichyNoo · 21/08/2021 14:25

@tapihomeware I don’t live in Birmingham. We were there for a mini break.

OP posts:
DismantledKing · 21/08/2021 14:27

You would have had to actually drive under these actual signs coming in from the M6 at Spaghetti.

Who knew you had to pay to drive in Birmingham?????
Hen2018 · 21/08/2021 14:35

An estate car that isn’t large?

Original poster
NichyNoo · 21/08/2021 14:41

To me, a large gas guzzling car is an SUV type car that has no place in a city. Anyway, I guess you live and learn.

OP posts:
Original poster
NichyNoo · 21/08/2021 14:42

@DismantledKing It was dark and those signs were not illuminated so we didn’t see them Sad

OP posts:
Goofers · 21/08/2021 14:44

The most annoying part of all this is that they’ve made the M6 through Birmingham a mandatory 60mph! Apparently the M6 Toll have done very well out of this…

fluffedup · 21/08/2021 14:47

So how does it work then, do you pay before you go, or is it ok to pay after?

Sparklingbrook · 21/08/2021 14:50

The signs which you drive past and notice or not just say 'pay online'. Helpful. Confused

MadMadMadamMim · 21/08/2021 14:51

Son in law (drives a van) has just been caught out by this.

He didn't realise either. And unless you live in a city I'm not sure that signs which say Clear Air Zone, charges apply make a lot of sense.

I didn't realise what they meant. How are you supposed to pay in mid journey? You can't suddenly get off a road in a city, can you?

NeverTalkToStrangers · 21/08/2021 14:55

@NichyNoo

To me, a large gas guzzling car is an SUV type car that has no place in a city. Anyway, I guess you live and learn.
It’s not about energy efficiency though - it’s about particulates, and your frugal old diesel kicks out far more of them than are acceptable in an urban area. Sorry, I can totally see how you missed it because it’s not really been on the national news, and if you’re travelling in in the dark it’s easier to miss the signs.