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12th September 2023
05:55pm BST
An OAP who got lost in London during the rush hour is now in a battle with transport authorities after receiving more than £800 in ULEZ.
Roger Watts has been in a four-month dispute with Transport For London after being hit with three separate emissions fines all racked up on a single journey.
The 82-year-old got lost after his sat nav directed him into the capital when he was supposed to be heading to Dorset.
Roger spent hours trying to get out of London, and by the time he finally managed it, it had cost him a small fortune.
Roger, from Norwich, Norfolk, said he hasn't been in the capital since the 70s, "so when I got lost, I just didn't have the experience to get out."
When he did manage to free the capital, he'd passed through three Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) zones.
The controversial ULEZ scheme was introduced by the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, to reduce air pollution and requires vehicles to meet certain emissions standards or pay a daily charge of £12.50 when driving within the zone.
Those that don't pay face fines of up to £180.
The scheme has been criticised by prime minister Rishi Sunak, as well as opposition Keir Starmer, both saying the scheme will hit families hard.
Roger was travelling to Dorset on 31 May in his 2009 Seat Altea, to collect a caravan, when his sat-nav took him into London.
It was the start of what would be a very long and eye-wateringly expensive journey.
Roger said: "My sat-nav played up and took me straight into London and I got caught up in what can only be described as bedlam.
"I saw the ULEZ signs but I just couldn't break the traffic and get out.
"It also added nearly five extra hours to my journey - from roughly four hours to about nine hours - and £300 worth of diesel too."
Three weeks later Roger received a letter confirming the charges - which he has since tried appealing.
In that time, however, London Transport have increased the fines, meaning Roger is now on the hook for a total of £810, which he says he can't afford.
He added: "I've been told the fines will keep going up, so it's not finished yet.
"The only thing I can do is try and get some help, so I've been to Citizens Advice who have given me some contact details for a legal team.
"It's very stressful as I can't raise the sort of cash needed to pay and it's taking up so much of my time trying to sort this.
"However I'm going to fight it to the end - these big companies assume no one can touch them - but they'll have to take this all the way."
Transport for London is yet to reply to a request for comment.
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