TfL Ref: 2394-2122
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 12 January 2022 asking for information about vehicles within the Congestion Charging Zone using registration plates which have subsequently been found to have be cloned/duplicated.
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 for:
information relating to vehicles within the Congestion Charging Zone using registration plates which have subsequently been found to have be cloned / duplicated:
- What is the procedure for the determination and issuance of a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) relating to a given registration plate for the non-payment of the Congestion Charge?
The Congestion Charging scheme uses Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology. As a vehicle enters, leaves or drives within the zone, its registration along with an image of the vehicle, is captured by our Automatic Number plate Recognition cameras.
When the three day payment period has expired, the database of those vehicles for which a charge has been paid, or which are exempt, or 100% discounted, is compared against the list of vehicles which have been observed in the zone. Where a match is found, the image and record of the vehicle is deleted. If no match is found. i.e. the vehicle was liable for a charge and no charge has been purchased, the details and images are retained for enforcement processes.
We then contact the DVLA to obtain the vehicle make, model and registered keeper details. Prior to issuing a PCN, we manually compare the images of the vehicle which our camera has captured, with the make and model details provided by the DVLA. Where the image matches the description provided by the DVLA, a penalty is issued to the registered keeper. If there isn’t a match, no penalty will be issued. For example, if we requested details for vehicle registration ABC 123 and the DVLA advised us it was a Blue Ford Fiesta - if the image of the vehicle displaying the registration that was in the zone was a White Mercedes, a penalty would not be issued.
- How many PCNs were issued in the last Financial year, to vehicles which were subsequently found to be using cloned registration plates within the Congestion Charging Zone?
- How many PCNs have been cancelled in the last Financial year, on the grounds that the registration plates were found to be cloned and being used fraudulently within the Congestion Charging Zone?
Following the issue of a PCN, a motorist has a right to challenge the penalty by submitting a representation to us. If the representation is accepted, the penalty is cancelled. If it is rejected, a further right of appeal to an Independent Adjudicator at London Tribunals is granted.
If a motorist receives a PCN and they believe it has been issued as a result of their vehicle being cloned they should make a representation to us. On receipt of the representation we will review the penalty and any supporting evidence provided. If supporting evidence isn’t provided we will usually request it.
Such evidence should confirm that the vehicle has been cloned and could include a police crime reference number confirming the matter has been reported or photos of the actual vehicle which we can compare against the images of the vehicle our cameras captured in the zone. Where satisfactory evidence is provided the penalty is cancelled. We will also mark the vehicle as a ‘clone’ on our system, which goes someway to preventing further penalties being issued.
In the last full financial year (2020-21), we issued a total of 956,141 PCNs for non-payment of the Congestion Charge. Please note that during this period the scheme was suspended between 23 March 2020 and 29 May 2020 due to Covid19.
Representation data provided is from November 2020 onwards due to system issues precluding data prior to that being complete, and of the 956,141 PCNs issued, we received 1,264 representations between November 2020 and March 2021, citing the reason as the vehicle being cloned. 1,102 of these were accepted and the PCN cancelled.
- How many PCNs were issued in the last 5 (five) Financial years, to vehicles which were subsequently found to be using cloned registration plates within the Congestion Charging Zone?
- How many PCNs have been cancelled in the last 5 (five) Financial years, on the grounds that the registration plates were found to be cloned and being used fraudulently within the Congestion Charging Zone?
We only issue a PCN when we have verified that the vehicle in the zone matches the description of the vehicle provided by the DVLA. At the point of issue we would do not know if the vehicle incurring the penalty has been cloned.
However, as outlined above, the recipient of a penalty can make a representation stating that the vehicle is cloned. Due to an issue with our systems we can only report on representation data since November 2020 and therefore we do not hold data on the number of PCNs cancelled on these grounds over the last five years.
- What detailed steps are taken to verify the make and model of a vehicle image captured via Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology, before a PCN is issued for non payment of the Congestion Charge?
Please see our response to Question One.
In the meantime, if you have incurred any penalties which you believe have been issued as a result of a vehicle being cloned then please contact our Road User Charging team at: [email protected].
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
