Latest news with #Riding
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Man slapped with £625 ULEZ fine despite driving an electric car
A man with a new personalised number plate has been hit with more than £600 in emissions charges - despite driving a fully electric vehicle. Grandad Keith Riding was gifted a personalised number plate for his electric MG ZS car by his children at Christmas. The 76-year-old, who lives in Hampton - on the southwestern outskirts of London's ULEZ zone - registered his new plate with the DVLA and signed up for autopay with Transport for London (TfL) in case he needed to enter central London's Congestion Zone. But Mr Riding - who bought his electric vehicle after the ULEZ zone was expanded in 2023 - was shocked to discover recently that £625 has been taken from his bank account by the transport authority since he got his new number plate. The car meets all ULEZ requirements. (Image: Keith Riding / SWNS) The retired civil engineer was charged twice for entering the capital's Low Emission Zone (LEZ) and twice for being caught in the Ultra Low Emission Zones (ULEZ) - despite his car being fully electric and therefore exempt from such charges. Mr Riding believes the previous owner of the registration plate, possibly from Northern Ireland, used a commercial vehicle, which may be why he's been charged. "It's a funny thing," he said. "I've had this electric car for two years and was given a new numberplate for Christmas - all registered with the DVLA. "But recently I suddenly found myself being debited for £625. It was a shock. The car is little used and the charge transpired to be for just two days. "What that entails is £300 for the vehicle going into the Lez zone twice, and £12.50 for going into the ULEZ zone twice. There are no emissions charges for electric vehicles, but the congestion charge in central London does apply. "I registered for auto payment with TfL as I expect to occasionally enter the congestion zone for my medical condition treatment. "The only reason I registered was in case I go into the Congestion Zone. "If I'd been caught on a camera every day, I could have a £9,000 bill at the end of the month." Mr Riding added that his car is even listed on his TfL account as an 'MG ZS SE EV' - with the final two initials indicating that his vehicle is electric. "A previous owner of the plates would have been a commercial vehicle that would probably have never been near London," he continued. "The number plate ends with a Z, which is common for plates in Northern Ireland. TfL has since refunded all fines. (Image: Keith Riding / SWNS) "On seeing my bank statement I phoned TfL, expecting an apology and speedy reimbursement - but not a bit of it. I was merely advised to make an online enquiry." TfL confirmed that the issue had now been resolved and that they had been in contact with Mr Riding. A spokesperson said: "We are sorry that Mr Riding has incorrectly received ULEZ and LEZ charges when his vehicle is compliant. Recommended Reading Anyone who meets these requirements is exempt from paying the ULEZ charge Calls for ULEZ to be scrapped and replaced with Paris limited traffic zone The ULEZ expansion 1 year on - some want to flee London while others 'happy' with it "We have refunded all the charges and have contacted him to apologise for the inconvenience this has caused.' Mr Riding added: "I do have hopes that reimbursement of my funds will eventually be forthcoming, but it's proving a warning as to what could happen with a new plate. "Several more daily charges of £312.50 would drain me of thousands of pounds with impunity."
BBC News
11-02-2025
- General
- BBC News
Commercial dog walkers angry at Harrogate Showground ban
Professional dog walkers have said they are angry after being banned from land owned by the Yorkshire Agricultural have been erected around the Great Yorkshire Showground in Harrogate warning that commercial dog walking is not permitted in the organisation, which hosts a number of large-scale events at the venue, said the decision came after it had received a number of complaints from other dog walkers that their animals had been online petition calling for the ban to be reversed has had more than 500 signatures. Linda Riding said she had been walking dogs around the Showground's land for 40 years, 17 of those as a commercial dog told the BBC: "I think it's totally unfair. All the signs came up just overnight and nobody knew about them. Ms Riding said: "Other owners come up to us and the ask us if they can socialise their dogs with us, they want to walk with us and it's all gone now - a lot of the public are quite upset."The nearby Hookstone Wood can still be used by commercial dog walkers because it is not part of the Showground's land, but Ms Riding said the footpaths were narrow and and open space limited - so the dogs were unable to get the exercise they could before the ban was Riding suggested that a "code of conduct" might be the answer, where commercial dog walkers could agree to "adhere to the rules"."We would be happy with that", she two dog walkers wished to remain anonymous but told the BBC: "Obviously when you're dog walking - dog on a lead, dog off a lead - and you've got sort of 10 dogs running up to you, they are quite often completely out of control."It isn't pleasant when you're trying to walk you own dog", they added. The Yorkshire Agricultural Society said "responsible dog walkers", who were not walking their pets as part of commercial dog walking services, were "welcome to use the public footpaths and bridleways" at the Great Yorkshire Showground, and these routes were clearly indicated on said it had taken "action to deter commercial dog walking" for the "safety and enjoyment of all visitors". Allister Nixon, chief executive of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, said: "We welcome dog walkers, I'm a dog owner myself, but in the past three or four months we've been inundated with calls and complaints from the general public about dog attacks, and abuse owners in the general public have received from commercial dog walkers."We can have seven or eight vans a day arrive with groups of up to 12 dogs at any one time - we had one complaint where three vans arrived at once and there were 30 dogs," he to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here.
