ULEZ Compliance Alert Letters. How many have been sent out by TfL?
Request ID: FOI-0792-2324 Date published: 17 July 2023
You asked
Please tell me:
1) How many letters informing registered keepers that their vehicles may not be compliant in the proposed expanded ULEZ have been sent out?
2) How many of these letters have been sent to the registered keepers of cars?
3) How many of the letters mentioned in 1 above have been sent to the registered keepers of vans or other such commercial vehicles?
Thank you.
We answered
Our Ref: FOI-0792-2324 Thank you for your request received on 14 June 2023 asking for information about the letter regarding the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Environmental Information Regulations and our information access policy. I can confirm that we hold some of the information you require. You asked:
How many letters informing registered keepers that their vehicles may not be compliant in the proposed expanded ULEZ have been sent out?
TfL is writing via the DVLA to the registered keepers of non-compliant vehicles seen being driven in the outer London area which will form part of the expanded ULEZ from 29 August 2023. Having identified the vehicles likely to be affected by this change, TfL has asked the DVLA to send these letters on our behalf. The letter provides information on the vehicle’s compliance status, the options available to vehicle owners including the scrappage scheme, grace periods and how the scheme operates including how to pay. The DVLA do not share registered keeper data with TfL or any third party for this purpose, and TfL does not know to whom or where these letters have been sent. Information on this process is published at https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/privacy-and-cookies/road-user-charging#on-this-page-12(see the section on ‘London wide ULEZ expansion mail-outs’). As of 22 June 2023, TfL have issued 546,571 letters via the DVLA to the registered keepers of non-compliant vehicles identified driving within the forthcoming expansion area. These letters are sent to the registered addresses for all non-compliant vehicles seen in the zone – not merely cars registered to Greater London addresses. Therefore registered keepers of non-compliant cars seen in the expanded zone but who live around the UK may receive a letter.
The letters form part of a large-scale multi-channel information campaign to raise awareness and to encourage vehicle checking with messaging running on TV, video on demand, radio, local and pan-London press, national specialist press e.g. What Van and What Car, and national press, a radio and newspaper content partnership, digital display, messaging on Waze, a wayfinding app, social, roadside posters and petrol pump nozzle advertising. Emails are also being sent to customers registered to TfL’s database and leaflets are being distributed via a door drop and face to face leafleting in high footfall locations such as high streets, in the outer boroughs.
How many of these letters have been sent to the registered keepers of cars?
How many of the letters mentioned in 1 above have been sent to the registered keepers of vans or other such commercial vehicles?
The DVLA is a national database which is not owned by TfL. TfL has access to limited parts of the data for the purpose of creating a database of vehicles that meet the ULEZ standards. TfL does not have permitted use of the data to carry out further analysis in order to answer this question. We are therefore unable to provide a breakdown of how many of the letters have been sent to the registered keepers of cars or other different vehicle types. 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. Yours sincerely Gemma Jacob Senior FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
