Request ID: FOI-2128-2223 Date published: 21 December 2022
You asked
Please can you supply the following information relating to the Congestion Charge.
Since January 2021 (per quarter) please can you provide figures showing:
a) How many cars/people paid the congestion charge prior to entering the zone?
b) How many cars entered the CC zone and then subsequently paid the charge afterwards?
c) Total receipts from CC payments during the period.
d) How many charges were paid despite drivers/cars not entering the CC zone?
I’d like to find out how many drivers/people accidentally paid the congestion charge despite not entering the CC zone.
e) Lastly, for those who may have paid despite not entering CC, is this money paid back?
We answered
TfL Ref: FOI-2128-2223
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 24 November 2022, asking for information about the Congestion Charge.
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 some of the information you require. You asked:
Since January 2021 (per quarter) please can you provide figures showing:
How many cars/people paid the congestion charge prior to entering the zone?
How many cars entered the CC zone and then subsequently paid the charge afterwards?
The Congestion Charge can be paid up to 90 days in advance or up to midnight on the third day after the journey into the zone. The most common payment method is through Auto Pay. This is when motorists are registered with us and are automatically billed monthly for their journeys into the zone.
The table below shows the number of charges paid per quarter for by Auto Pay, pre pay and post pay.
Row Labels
Sum of Autopay
Sum of Pay Next Day
Sum of Pre paid
2021
13110226
1151337
3160710
Qtr1
2727408
183048
636098
Qtr2
3279721
291239
800094
Qtr3
3152849
333109
888533
Qtr4
3950248
343941
835985
2022
11807714
974481
2352099
Qtr1
3528982
276631
687049
Qtr2
3159218
260039
628712
Qtr3
3110787
268637
630808
Qtr4
2008727
169174
405530
Total receipts from CC payments during the period.
Congestion Charge annual income is published per financial year and is detailed in our annual statement of accounts. The latest statement covers the financial year 2021/22. Here’s a link to our latest report Annual Report and Statement of Accounts 2021/22 (tfl.gov.uk).
In accordance with section 21 of the FOI Act, we are not obliged to supply you with a copy of the requested information as it is already accessible to you elsewhere.
How many charges were paid despite drivers/cars not entering the CC zone?
I’d like to find out how many drivers/people accidentally paid the congestion charge despite not entering the CC zone.
Lastly, for those who may have paid despite not entering CC, is this money paid back?
It may be useful if we outline how we operate the Congestion Charging and Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) charging schemes. Both schemes operate using Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology. Each entry point to, and exit from, the zones are clearly signed and as a vehicle enters, leaves, or drives within the zone its registration is recorded along with an image of the vehicle.
When the three day 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, exempt from the charges or listed on an Auto Pay account. 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 record of vehicles which have driven in the zone is not verified until the payment period has expired we are unable to offer a service whereby motorists can immediately verify if they have driven in the zone. In addition as the records of vehicles for which a charge has been paid are deleted, we are unable to retrospectively verify whether a vehicle, for which a charge has been paid, has been in the zone.
The regulations governing the Congestion Charge and the ULEZ do not facilitate the refunding of unused daily charge payments.
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
Eva Hextall FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
