Sheffield bus driver considering legal action over £20,000 of Clean Air Zone fines

Ky Moynihan drives into the city centre for school trips, which are exempt from the charges.

A bus driver in Sheffield says Clean Air Zone fines are causing a nightmare for his business after he received almost £20,000 in penalties.

Ky Moynihan drives into the city centre for school trips, which are exempt from the charge, but he does not get given the notice the council requires to process his paperwork.

It means he is having to spend hours appealing each fine he receives.

Ky Moynihan is spending hours appealing fines he receives for trips which are exempt from the Clean Air Zone charge

Mr Moynihan said: "For example you've got Sheffield Wednesday Academy down here. They might win a game on this pitch, they might want a bus tomorrow.

"I've not given Sheffield City Council five days' notice so I automatically know that I'm going to get a £50 fine, it's just a matter of days before you get it."

Sheffield's Clean Air Zone was introduced in February to improve poor air quality after research found it causes at least 250 deaths every year in the city.

It covers the inner ring road and city centre and costs £10 a day for polluting vans, LGVs and taxis and £50 for coaches buses and lorries.

Sheffield's Clean Air Zone was introduced in February

Ky says he is now considering legal action to compensate him for the extra time the scheme is costing his business.

He said: "It's causing me stress to the point where, is it even worth running anymore?  The stress is just unbelievable.  I mean, I know I can go home today, I know I'm going to get five or six fines.

"I haven't got the weekend to myself because I'm going to have to fill these fines in just for them all to go to a tribunal just for Sheffield City Council not to turn up or even get in touch with the tribunal. They just get quashed, it's just an absolute joke."

A spokesperson for Sheffield City Council said: "We can't comment on individual cases, however, we urge business owners to check the information on our website and ensure that they are submitting the correct evidence for each exemption application. This will help to avoid delays and prevent the driver from receiving fines."