General Chat

[mjmooney]

As someone who hasn't driven in Birmingham for many years, I haven't a clue what you're talking about. Just on the offchance that I may do so again one day, what do I need to know? 

[Genie]

3 minutes ago, mjmooney said:

As someone who hasn't driven in Birmingham for many years, I haven't a clue what you're talking about. Just on the offchance that I may do so again one day, what do I need to know? 

If you go inside of the ring road you’ll need to pay £8 a day if your car doesn’t meet the criteria for exemption. 

[Chindie]

10 minutes ago, mjmooney said:

As someone who hasn't driven in Birmingham for many years, I haven't a clue what you're talking about. Just on the offchance that I may do so again one day, what do I need to know? 

There's a London style congestion charge, in short.

[Genie]

12 minutes ago, bickster said:

I suspect its a technological issue

You'll have the ANPR "live" database, which will then compile overnight into a reporting database

You'll also have a payment database which will in all likelihood again compile overnight into another reporting database

When those processes are complete, then there'll be some sort of  sifting of exemptions, then they'll run reports of Paid, Exempted and Unpaid

That process will take longer than you have to pay the ticket in the first place

Thats just a scenario based on my understanding of how situations like this can operate. I know our IT guys really don't like "live!" databases being interrogated especially with large complicated queries which is why they dump all the live stuff into reporting databases that are no longer written to 

I went up to Halewood a couple of years ago and found myself on a toll bridge (I guess you know it, I can’t remember exactly where it was but in the Merseyside area, not Runcorn bridge). IIRC correctly I was able to check my reg later that day which confirmed indeed I needed to pay the charge.

[bickster]

30 minutes ago, Genie said:

I went up to Halewood a couple of years ago and found myself on a toll bridge (I guess you know it, I can’t remember exactly where it was but in the Merseyside area, not Runcorn bridge). IIRC correctly I was able to check my reg later that day which confirmed indeed I needed to pay the charge.

How can you trust the word of someone who doesn't realise that the bridge was indeed a Runcorn Bridge? (The only tolled bridges in the area)

And no you couldn't check whether you needed to pay or not

You require a memory upgrade

[Genie]

5 minutes ago, bickster said:

How can you trust the word of someone who doesn't realise that the bridge was indeed a Runcorn Bridge? (The only tolled bridges in the area)

And no you couldn't check whether you needed to pay or not

You require a memory upgrade

It was the Mersey gateway bridge which I used that has a toll. I paid it as I was clearly on it during my return to the midlands (didn’t actually need to check).

[bickster]

Just now, Genie said:

It was the Mersey gateway bridge which I used that has a toll. I paid it as I was clearly on it during my return to the midlands (didn’t actually need to check).

You know that Bridge is between Widnes and Runcorn yeah?

You cannot check whether you owe money

[mjmooney]

49 minutes ago, Genie said:

If you go inside of the ring road you’ll need to pay £8 a day if your car doesn’t meet the criteria for exemption. 

Doesn't this catch out loads of out-of-towners? Is it well advertised, with bus park-and-ride schemes, etc.? Must admit, it's put me off the idea of visiting Brum at all, if I can't just have a drive around. 

[Genie]

1 minute ago, mjmooney said:

Doesn't this catch out loads of out-of-towners? Is it well advertised, with bus park-and-ride schemes, etc.? Must admit, it's put me off the idea of visiting Brum at all, if I can't just have a drive around. 

There are lots of signs tbh but I still expect it will catch a lot of people out who aren’t paying attention. 

[mjmooney]

All this has made me feel even older than I am. I've just seen a picture of Hill Street as it is now. The one underneath is as I remember it. Not that I'm saying the old dirty town was better, it's just that if I visit now it would be just visiting a new city, with zero nostalgia value. 

[Genie]

4 minutes ago, bickster said:

You know that Bridge is between Widnes and Runcorn yeah?

Yeah, I’ve been on it

I said it wasn’t THE Runcorn bridge. What is now known as Silver Jubilee bridge used to be known as The Runcorn bridge

More recently the Mersey Gateway bridge was added and it’s the one I paid to go across due to traffic on THE Runcorn bridge. 

[sidcow]

2 hours ago, Genie said:

My car is definitely chargeable (2.0L diesel) and I’m pretty sure I didn’t sneak into the pay zone so I’ll take my chances. It’s just annoying they don’t allow people to check, is it to catch people out and generate more money? (Either by people paying to be on the safe side, or getting a fine they didn’t expect). 

Just being a diesel doesn't make it chargeable.  Most vehicles manufactured in the last 7 years are not chargeable even if Diesel.

[Genie]

Just now, sidcow said:

Just being a diesel doesn't make it chargeable.  Most vehicles manufactured in the last 7 years are not chargeable even if Diesel.

Correct, there is a website where you can check (even the Mrs £20 a year road tax 1.6L diesel is chargeable). 
It must only be the very newest diesels that fall below the line. 

[bickster]

51 minutes ago, mjmooney said:

All this has made me feel even older than I am. I've just seen a picture of Hill Street as it is now.

Did you get the Blues?

[bickster]

52 minutes ago, Genie said:

I said it wasn’t THE Runcorn bridge.

Now know colloquially as The Runcorn Bridges because there are two of them

[Davkaus]

56 minutes ago, mjmooney said:

Not that I'm saying the old dirty town was better, it's just that if I visit now it would be just visiting a new city, with zero nostalgia value. 

 

I feel the same way every time I remember the Bull Ring is now a shiny retail destination and doesn't stink of piss.

[sidcow]

2 hours ago, mjmooney said:

All this has made me feel even older than I am. I've just seen a picture of Hill Street as it is now. The one underneath is as I remember it. Not that I'm saying the old dirty town was better, it's just that if I visit now it would be just visiting a new city, with zero nostalgia value. 

There is still plenty of Old Brum around MJM.  But you do need to look harder and harder for it.   

Is that pub you can see The Golden Lion (or something).   I've heard of pubs there but I don't actually recall them even thought I must have known that street before the TSB building was built.

I am 100% sure I don't remember that bridge over the road.  The old post office at the top of that hill is still there albeit it's incorporated into the TSB building now and a new post office is in the ground floor of that modern building.  I do remember getting my first passport inside that old post office.

[bickster]

2 hours ago, Davkaus said:

I feel the same way every time I remember the Bull Ring is now a shiny retail destination and doesn't stink of piss.

Yep its gone from smelling of piss to shops with prices that take the piss

[Xela]

7 hours ago, mjmooney said:

As someone who hasn't driven in Birmingham for many years, I haven't a clue what you're talking about. Just on the offchance that I may do so again one day, what do I need to know? 

Check if your vehicle will need to pay (if its petrol and under 10-12 years old it should be fine)

https://vehiclecheck.drive-clean-air-zone.service.gov.uk/vehicle_checkers/enter_details

They'll be rolling these out all over the country soon enough. Manchester and Leeds next I would assume

[Xela]

6 hours ago, sidcow said:

Just being a diesel doesn't make it chargeable.  Most vehicles manufactured in the last 7 years are not chargeable even if Diesel.

Euro 6 diesels are exempt, from memory.