Please provide answers to the following FOI requests: 1. How many complaints have been received since the start of the ULEZ relating to the issue that receiving that receiving a separate CCZ and a ULEZ fine was confusing or misunderstood. Please break these figures down by: a. Those complainants who live in the Greater London area. b. Those complainants who live outside the Greater London area. 2. How many people since the start of the ULEZ have received a double fine for the CCZ and the ULEZ and have only paid one fine within the discount period.

---

TfL Ref: 2022-2021

Thank you for your request received by us on 9 January 2020 asking for information about the issuing of Congestion Charge Zone (CCZ) and Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs).

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

1. How many complaints have been received since the start of the ULEZ relating to the issue that receiving that receiving a separate CCZ and a ULEZ fine was confusing or misunderstood.

Please break these figures down by:

a. Those complainants who live in the Greater London area.

b. Those complainants who live outside the Greater London area.

2. How many people since the start of the ULEZ have received a double fine for the CCZ and the ULEZ and have only paid one fine within the discount period.

The Congestion Charge and the Ultra Low Emissions Zone are two separate schemes and therefore each has their own unique street signage for operational purposes. As these schemes are separate entities, a driver can receive a PCN for either one of the schemes but we would not issue fines for both in the same letter. Our website makes it clear that they are two separate schemes. For example, please see the Congestion Charge page via:  https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/congestion-charge?intcmp=2053 which states that ‘If your vehicle does not meet the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) standards, you must also pay the ULEZ charge’

Additionally, each scheme has their own enforcement process below:

https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/congestion-charge/penalties-and-enforcement

https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/ultra-low-emission-zone/penalty-charges-for-ulez?intcmp=52547

As our complaints data is not recorded using the specific reasons referenced above, to provide this information would require us to identify, locate, extract and manually review each individual complaint to ascertain whether it fell within the scope of your request. This would exceed the ‘appropriate limit’ of £450 set by the Freedom of Information (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004.

Under section 12 of the FOI Act, we are not obliged to comply with a request if we estimate that the cost of determining whether we hold the information, locating and retrieving it and extracting it from other information would exceed the appropriate limit. This is calculated at £25 per hour for every hour spent on the activities described.

To help bring the cost of responding to your request within the £450 limit, you may wish to consider narrowing its scope so that we can more easily locate, retrieve and extract the information you are seeking. If you want to refine your request or make a Freedom of Information Act request in future, please bear in mind that the Freedom of Information Act allows you to request recorded information held by us. You should identify the information that you want as clearly and concisely as you can, specifying the types of document that you are looking for. You might also consider limiting your request to a particular period of time, geographical area or specific departments of the organisation.

Although your request can take the form of a question, rather than a request for specific documents, we do not have to answer your question if it would require the creation of new information or the provision of a judgement, explanation, advice or opinion that was not already recorded at the time of your request.

Please note that we will not be taking further action until we receive your revised request.

We note that you stated “I believe the TfL are unfairly and disproportionately targeting the elderly and vulnerable with their process of sending out dual CCZ and ULEZ fines separately when they could be sent together with a note explaining that these are separate fines”. As this is not something we are able to comment on under the Freedom of Information process as it is not a request for recorded information, you can also contact the Road User Team regarding your complaint via: https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/cc-contact-us-make-an-enquiry-wizard-37743

If you are considering submitting a further FOI request please think carefully about whether the request is essential at this current time, as answering FOI requests will require the use of limited resources and the attention of staff who could be supporting other essential activity. Where requests are made, please note that our response time may be impacted by the current situation.

If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, 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

Jasmine Howard
FOI Case Officer
FOI Case Management Team
General Counsel
Transport for London

Back to top

---