To make matters worse, these unpaid fines coincide with a sharp increase in the amount of debt owed by TfL itself, which has risen from £160 million in 2020-2021 to around £450 million today. With this in mind, the London Assembly has written a letter to Mayor Sadiq Khan, urging him to “increase collection levels” for road charging schemes such as ULEZ.
TfL has repeatedly stated that the ULEZ scheme is not a moneymaker. However, despite Chief Customer and Strategy Officer Alex Williams, saying that “on average, over 96 per cent of vehicles seen driving in the ULEZ are compliant”, TfL has previously made more than £23 million in a single month since the scheme’s expansion into Greater London.
Williams warned drivers that TfL “want[s] 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 standard daily charge for vehicles that aren’t ULEZ exempt – typically those that don’t meet Euro 6 emissions standards – is £12.50. If this isn’t paid by midnight on the third day after entering the zone, drivers will face a PCN of £180 – or £90 if settled within 14 days.
Those experiencing financial hardships, Williams continued, should not ignore PCNs and “engage with our staff, who will work with you towards a resolution, including setting up debt payment plans.”
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