A Croydon man has expressed his frustration and disappointment after receiving a number of traffic fines from the borough council related to the Lower Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTN) scheme.
Shakeel Yousaf, who has lived in Croydon for a number of years, regularly used Parsons Mead Road in West Croydon to get to and from the mosque.
He was shocked to find the road had been included in the council's LTN scheme, and that his use of it had breached the rules incurring fines of at least £390.
"I'm not exactly sure when they changed the road (to the new rules) but those fines were the first I knew of it.
"Dozens of cars are going down that road every day because it was not a clear sign," Shak said, suggesting the signage at the top of the road didn't make it clear drivers could get penalised.
The planters could be replaced with enforcement cameras https://t.co/ybMvO9OAcx
— Croydon Guardian (@CroydonGuardian) January 12, 2021
The Croydon man added that his "heart sank a little bit" when he opened the postal notifications of the fines or Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs).
He now hopes the fines he's received from Croydon Council are overturned.
"I feel sorry for the (other) drivers because there likely hundreds of drivers using that road every day," Shak added.
It remains doubtful whether Croydon Council, currently under severe budgetary pressure after effectively declaring bankruptcy late last year, would be open to considering Shak's concerns about the fines.
Responding to a request for comment from the Croydon Guardian, a spokesperson said they had issued warnings about the LTNs, which are designed to lower pollution in the borough:
"Penalty charge notices are issued for driving through the Low Traffic Neighbourhood closures that are in place to reduce through traffic and encourage safer, healthier streets.
"Warning notices were sent, and a lengthy grace period was held following the installation of camera-enforced closures, ensuring local motorists would have time to get used to the changes.
The spokesperson added that any signage in the area was compliant, and that the council had even added extra warning material:
"Not only can we confirm that signage is compliant with legislation, but we have added extra material to make them even more visible at night."
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