DRIVERS have been warned that they need to familiarise themselves with a common road sign or face a £120 fine.
Critics have argued that drivers are “not understanding” the signs, which means that they don’t know when an important driving rule starts to apply.
The highly criticised signs indicate that you are approaching a Clean Air Zone.
Mattijs Wijnmalen, CEO of the toll regulations and compliance organisation TollwayR, thinks that the ambiguous meaning of the signs may cause drivers to face fines.
He said: “Clean Air Zones are implemented to improve urban air quality, but many drivers are being fined simply because they don’t understand what the signs mean or aren’t aware they need to pay.
“This creates unnecessary frustration and financial strain, particularly for those travelling into unfamiliar areas.”
Clean Air Zones require drivers using older vehicles to pay a fine, in the hope that this will encourage them to choose a newer, less polluting vehicle.
They are currently operated in Bath, Birmingham, Bradford, Bristol, Portsmouth, Sheffield, and Tynesde (Newcastle and Gateshead).
The largest Clean Air Zone is the ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone) in London.
Clean Air Signs typically have a dark blue background and feature a cloud, which is surrounded by a green circle.
They are marked “Clean Air Zone” at the top and state how far drivers have to travel before entering the zone.
Mattijis has advised all drivers to familiarise themselves with the signs.
He has also said that drivers should research the exact areas covered by the restrictions.
This will help drivers avoid the £60 penalty for failing to comply with the zone’s rules.
The charge rises to £120 if left unpaid for more than two weeks.
According to the World Economic Forum, clean air zones help to reduce dangerous levels of nitrogen dioxide in the air.
They have suggested that improving air quality will benefit the NHS, as fewer people will need to be admitted with respiratory problems, and may even provide an economic boost for the country.
