TfL Ref: 0702-1819

Thank you for your email received by us on 18 June 2018 asking for information about London’s Congestion Charge.

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act and our information access policy. You asked for:

How many payments were made for vehicles that did not enter the London congestion charge zone for the time period 1st Jan 2017 - 31st Dec 2017

Unfortunately we do not hold the information you have requested. The Congestion Charge operates using Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology. Each entry point to and exit from the Congestion Charge zone is clearly signed and as a vehicle either enters, leaves or drives within the zone its Vehicle Registration Mark is recorded along with an image of the vehicle. At the end of the next charging day, when the payment period has expired, the list of vehicles observed in the zone is compared against the vehicles for which a charge has been paid and those which are 100% discounted or exempt from the Congestion Charge. Where a match is found the image and record of the vehicle is deleted. If no match is found the details are retained for enforcement purposes

As the records of all vehicles which have paid the Congestion Charge are deleted, we do not keep a record of when a Congestion Charge payment has been made for a vehicle that wasn’t driven in the zone during charging hours.

Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.

Yours sincerely

Jasmine Howard
FOI Case Officer
Information Governance
Transport For London