THOUSANDS of drivers will be refunded and being wrongly issued with a penalty notice.
Around 4,700 motorists in Sheffield were mistakenly slapped with a penalty due to a technical error.
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Sheffield City Council said those affected drove into the Clean Air Zone (CAZ) between Sunday March 26 and Thursday April 6 with one additional case on April 12.
The error occurred at a third-party supplier level when the clocks went forward from Greenwich Mean Time into British Summer Time.
It means they were given the wrong timestamp which then meant they were charged £120.
If the fine was paid within 14 days it is then reduced to £60.
Sheffield City Council is now in the process of refunding all of those who have already paid their fines.
The council is sending letters to all motorists affected so keep an eye out in your post.
If you have already paid your penalty, the council will retain the cost of the CAZ charge and refund the outstanding amount.
Drivers of smaller vehicles which do not meet emission standards are charged £10 a day for entering the Clean Air Zone.
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And those with larger vehicles such as buses, coaches, lorries and HGVS that also don’t comply must pay £50 per day.
For example, if you paid £120 and have a smaller vehicle and drove in the zone once, then you’ll be refunded £140.
If you have any outstanding penalty notice to pay you will have a new one issued but will be given the option to just pay the CAZ charge – you must pay it within 13 days
Drivers who don’t take up the offer to pay just part of the cost will be charge the full penalty amount.
Counciller Joe Otten, chair of Waste and Street Scene Committee, said: “We were disappointed to learn this technical error and staff from our third-party suppliers and the Council and have been working to rectify the issue.
“We want to take this opportunity to apologise to all those that are impacted and for the inconvenience associated with this issue.”
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