Request ID: FOI-1847-2324 Date published: 25 September 2023
You asked
My car is and always has been ULEZ exempt. TFL has repeatedly charged the ULEZ charge taking considerable time and inconvenience to resolve. On each occasion TFL has admitted it got it wrong and refunded the money which has been incorrectly taken.
Please can you advise:
How many vehicles have incorrectly been charged a the ULEZ fee and then subsequently refunded due to being charged in error.
How many vehicles have received penalty notices for not paying ULEZ when their vehicle is actually exempt and have subsequently had it overturned.
We answered
Our ref: FOI-1847-2324/GH
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 29 August 2023 asking for information about ULEZ Account Charges and Penalty Charges.
Your request has been considered under the requirements of the Environmental Information Regulations and our information access policy. I can confirm that we do hold the information you require.
How many vehicles have incorrectly been charged a the ULEZ fee and then subsequently refunded due to being charged in error.
When a ULEZ charge is levied on an Auto Pay account and subsequently refunded we do not record the reason for the refund and therefore we do not hold this information.
How many vehicles have received penalty notices for not paying ULEZ when their vehicle is actually exempt and have subsequently had it overturned.
In order to establish whether a vehicle is compliant with the ULEZ emission standards we predominantly use the vehicle data held by the DVLA. In most cases we can establish a vehicle’s compliance status by the date it was first registered as new. We know that all diesel cars first registered as new after 1 September 2015, and all petrol cars first registered as new after 1 January 2006 are automatically compliant with the ULEZ standards. This is because there was a legal requirement to manufacture vehicles to these standards as of these dates. However, this isn’t always adequate to allow us to confirm compliance and therefore we supplement this with data from the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA), and from some vehicle manufacturers. We acknowledge that despite our best efforts to establish compliance we still may not be able to do so for all vehicles. This is predominantly because there is no national requirement for vehicle emissions data to be recorded and such vehicle emission data simply may not be available. In light of this we have set up an enquiry service. If a motorist believes we have the compliance status of their vehicle incorrect then they can provide evidence to us to confirm it is compliant. Such evidence could include a Certificate of Conformity from the vehicle manufacturer confirming emissions or evidence that a vehicle has been tested and the relevant emissions standards met. Should a motorist receive a Penalty Charge Notice and challenge it on the basis that their vehicle is compliant we ask for evidence to support this. On receipt and verification of the evidence the penalty is cancelled and the vehicle status is updated to compliant. Since the launch of the ULEZ on 5 April 2019 we have cancelled 66,617 PCNs on the basis that it has been established that the vehicle is compliant. This represents approximately 1% of all PCNs issued. If you are experiencing any difficulties with your services relating to your vehicle or Auto Pay service then you can contact our Road User Charging correspondence team at [email protected]
If this is not the information you are looking for, please do not hesitate to contact me.
If you are not satisfied with this response please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.
Yours sincerely
Graham Hurt FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
