Dear Transport for London, I'd like to know how many fines were issued to drivers not paying the ULEZ charge in the first week of it's implementation? If possible, can you divide the data by vehicle type? In the same period, how many fines were issued to drivers not paying the congestion charge?

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TfL Ref: 0191-1920

Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 16 April 2019 asking for information about fines and the ULEZ.

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy.  I can confirm that we hold the information you require.

London’s toxic air is a public health crisis and we’re committed to tackling it. The introduction of the ULEZ on 8 April 2019 and its expansion to the North and South Circulars in 2021 is not about making money, but about improving the health and wellbeing of thousands of Londoners.

Around half of London's air pollution is caused by road transport and there is no way to make a massive improvement to London’s air quality without taking the most polluting vehicles off the road. The majority of toxic road transport emissions come from cars, so we need to take action to encourage people to drive less and upgrade to cleaner vehicles

In terms of fines issued, we can confirm that no penalty charge notices were issued for non-payment of the ULEZ charge in its first week of operation.  As for similar schemes, we issued a warning letter during the launch period to those who drove a polluting vehicle into the zone without paying the daily charge. The letter was sent out after the first contravention to ensure the correct action is taken in the future and to allow for any genuine mistakes that may have occurred.

In response to your second question, we issued 19,558 PCNs for non-payment of the Congestion Charge between 8-12 April 2019. It should be noted that, while the ULEZ operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the Congestion Charge only operates Mon-Fri 7.00am-6.00pm.

If this is not the information you are looking for,  please do not hesitate to contact me.

Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.

Yours sincerely

Sara Thomas

FOI Case Management Team

General Counsel

Transport for London

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