Birmingham electric car driver hit with £3.5k clean air charges

Mohammed Afzal has been hit with the charges despite his eco-friendly car

An electric car driver is suing his local authority after he was hit with about £3,500 in Clean Air Zone charges because, he says, of mistaken identity.

Eco-conscious Mohammed Afzal said Birmingham City Council would not back down despite what he called categorical proof he didn't rack up the fines.

The solicitor, 57, told how bailiffs had been dispatched to his house to demand payment.

The council said it was unable to comment on individual cases.

Mr Afzal, who runs a law firm inside the zone, said the stalemate began more than three months ago, with the charges incurred by somebody with the same name as him.

The father said he was fearful that debt collectors would return to his home again and frighten his young son.

The Birmingham solicitor drives a fully electric car

He showed the BBC what he called threatening letters and text messages from companies hired by the council to collect debts.

"I have called today with the intention of removing goods," one letter from an enforcement agent read. "If you do not contact me immediately, I will be required to return to complete my actions and goods may be removed in your absence."

The charges, made up of penalty notices and associated fees, could have implications for his credit score, potentially impacting his business and personal finances.

Mr Afzal said: "It may be that in some parallel universe run by Birmingham City Council I am the driver of the 2008 Toyota Auris but certainly not on Planet Earth."

The father has since submitted a subject access request, which he said proves he is not the one who incurred the charges.

He described the situation as preposterous and compared it to the council pursuing the Dalai Lama for fines because a Mr Dalai Lama from Birmingham had failed to pay.

"To have debt collectors being aggressive and wanting to take your family possessions away is awful," he added.

Innocent fined

Mr Afzal is not alone.

Last week, a 74-year-old who does not have a car or hold a driving licence said he had received more than £23,000 in vehicle fines.

Barry, from Birmingham, said in excess of 200 parking and Clean Air Zone penalties had been delivered to his home over two years.

Birmingham City Council said it was investigating the case and the BBC understands problems are also being faced by others in neighbouring local authorities.

The scheme needs to be administered properly, according to a climate campaigner

Chris Crean, a Friends of the Earth campaigner, said he wanted people out of cars altogether and urged councillors to introduce more walking and cycling schemes.

But he said the pollution-busting scheme needed to be administered properly.

"I think the council need to run the Clean Air Zone in a fair and equitable way," he said.

"If people do feel that they are being wronged then they need to use the appeal process."

When asked about Mr Afzal's case, the council said it followed a statutory enforcement process for the issuing and enforcement of penalty charge notices.

"Penalty charge notices are sent to the address of a registered keeper of a vehicle based on the information held by the DVLA at the point it is issued," a spokesperson said.

"In the event that a PCN is received, opportunities for challenge are set out at each stage of the process so that anyone issued with a penalty charge notice understands how they can pay or challenge it."