Transport for London (TfL) is stepping up its enforcement against drivers who persistently evade fines for Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) contraventions.
Bailiffs acting on behalf of TfL have recouped £25.6m debt in the last year following non-payment of penalties, while more than 1,400 vehicles have been seized, recouping £700,000 in sales.
But TfL said a “cohort” of people who refuse to pay multiple penalty charge notices (PCNs) meant a significant amount of debt remains outstanding, which could be reinvested into improving the transport network for the benefit of all Londoners.
In July, a driver with 45 warrants against them was traced by TfL agents to a new address. They claimed that they no longer owned the vehicle, but TfL’s investigations team established that the PCNs were received before the vehicle was sold. The driver settled their balance of almost £16,000. Another repeat offender with 21 warrants against their vehicle was visited multiple times by TfL enforcement agents and made a series of payments to settle their outstanding debt of over £7,800.
The London ULEZ was expanded across all London boroughs in August 2023 in a move that saw backlash from motorists in outer London and led to a High Court case by five Conservative-run councils in which it was ultimately ruled as lawful. The expanded rollout was supported by a £210m scrappage scheme, accessed by around 54,700 applicants.
TfL is now tripling the number of people in its investigations team to boost the work with bailiffs to target those in non-compliant vehicles that refuse to pay the daily charges.
This will be used in tandem with other enforcement action including the ability of bailiffs to visit an evader’s address, clamp a vehicle, remove a vehicle and sell it at auction. This is in addition to the further fees that evaders accrue when they do not to pay the fine within the statutory time limit.
Latest data shows that over 96% of vehicles seen driving in the zone comply with the emissions standards, meaning the vast majority of drivers do not need to pay the daily charge.
TfL encourages anyone who has received a ULEZ penalty charge to engage with the notice. Staff work proactively with the registered keeper to reach a solution, including setting up payment plans where appropriate, to make fines owed more manageable, and signposting to charities and resources so that they can directly seek any assistance they need.
Alex Williams, TfL’s chief customer and strategy officer, said: “We want to send a clear message to vehicle owners that if you receive a penalty charge for driving in the zone, you should not ignore it. Your penalty will progress to enforcement agents to recover the fines that you owe, and there is a risk that your vehicle and other items of property will be removed.
“The aim of the ULEZ is to clean up London’s air and remove old polluting cars from the road so no drivers need to pay and no fines occur. There is only a small minority of drivers who are eligible for the charge, and even fewer who are refusing to pay – but we encourage anyone experiencing financial difficulties not to ignore PCNs, and to engage with our staff, who will work with you towards a resolution, including setting up debt payment plans.”
Drivers are encouraged to sign up to the Auto Pay system, which enables customers to be billed automatically when their vehicle enters the ULEZ and therefore avoids a fine. Customers registered with Auto Pay are debited on a monthly basis for daily charges and receive a monthly statement of the charges. Those registered with Auto Pay have 90 days to dispute any charges debited.
A pilot scheme to offer increased support to vulnerable recipients of penalty charges will launch in the coming months. The scheme will include new guidance for TfL staff to assist those experiencing hardship, such as referring to a partner organisation which provides financial guidance.
