Im fuming.

It just seems to me that car owners are one big cash machine for councils.

Stick some cameras up and let the money roll in.

I recently moved to a new area and started driving to work.

Unbeknown to me one of the roads I was turning into on my way to work each morning at 7:30am has a time restriction in place that you cant turn into it after 7:30am.

Its dark,

its christmas

, the streets are empty,

no one was killed,

no traffic was caused.

But yet I have appealed against these tickets and am told by the council they are 'certain an offense has taken place' and I need to pay £390 thankyou very much.

That is like almost half a months wages.

For making a mistake that has harmed no one.

Does anyone know how I can fight this?

You said the restriction was unknown to you - what sort of signage was there?

There's a principle in parking that the scale of the penalty has to be proportionate - not sure if it works the same way with moving traffic violations, but you may have a case to argue that £390 is excessive given the nature of the contravention.

Hi, thanks for your reply.

The signage was placed in a way I would not have looked when looking for an entry restriction.

But in the letter the council have stated about another case where someone in the borough tried to say in court that the signs were not clear enough and that the judge did not accept that.

my issue was that the sign was on the right hand side of the road not where a motorist would look.

They have said the right hand sign is not the main sign and has only been placed as an addition to the left hand sign (there isnt a left hand sign Ive checked) and that they think motorists should not use signs as a way of working out if roads are restricted and should instead know their journeys restrictions beforehand.

If that is the case then why have signs at all I wonder.

I cant even afford to get my cooker fixed

and Im driving to work trying to make an honest living

and just get by and this happens.

Can you post up the location?

People can then look at the signage (by e.g. Street View), and offer opinion as to:

1) Signage inadequate: fight it!, or

2) Pay up, and pay more attention when driving, or

3) You'll have to pay some, but fight the larger total.

I'm thinking of going down the route of appealing by saying since on the 3 occasions I was continually not aware the road was restricted entry after 7:30am technically it is not 3 separate offences, it is 1 offence. Therefore the penalty exceeds the amount applicable in the circumstances of the case and I should only pay one of the pcn's.

How about posting the road it was on so we can advise.

The last post of yours sounds stupid imho.

If all the signage was there, you will look silly, if it wasn't thee, you may get off with all three.