Request ID: FOI-2697-2122 Date published: 18 March 2022
You asked
There are no ULEZ restriction or warning signs around Newington Green from all directions around the roundabout. If you say there are, please provide me with evidence of these. If indeed there are no signage around Newington Green, how many innocent drivers have been caught out in this way? When did this enforcement begin in this area and how many PCNs have been issued here? How many have been cancelled, paid, challenged, rejected, accepted, appealed, refused or allowed? I would like answers to these questions under the freedom of information act.
We answered
Our ref: FOI-2697-2122/GH
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 18 February 2022 asking for information about ULEZ.
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 some of the information you require.
On 25 October 2021 the Mayor of London expanded the ULEZ up to, but not including, the North and South Circular roads. The new zone is 18 times larger than before with nearly 4 million people living in the zone. Measuring 380km2, it covers one quarter of London and is the largest zone of its kind in Europe. The compliance rate (percentage of vehicles detected in the zone that meet the strict emission standards) during the first month was 92 per cent, compared to the compliance levels in 2017 of 39 per cent.
Following the expansion of the ULEZ, warning notices were issued to non-compliant vehicles seen using the zone in the first four weeks after expansion - i.e. between 25 October and 22 November 2021. Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) were issued for contraventions from 23 November 2021. Warning notices were issued to ensure the correct action is taken in the future and to allow for any genuine mistakes that may have occurred. This approach was also taken for the introduction of the central London ULEZ in April 2019.
For your information we do publish a ULEZ fact sheet which gives information on the operation of the scheme. The latest version covers the period up to 31 December 2021 and is available online at https://content.tfl.gov.uk/ulez-online-factsheet-oct21-dec21.pdf
There are no ULEZ restriction or warning signs around Newington Green from all directions around the roundabout. If you say there are, please provide me with evidence of these.
Newington Green is around four miles from the zone boundary and well inside the ULEZ. A motorist travelling to Newington Green would pass various signs on their journey. If you can provide your exact route we can identify which signs would have been passed.
The camera which produced the image used for this PCN was installed on 4 February 2021 and became operational on 25 October 2021 when the ULEZ was expanded.
How many innocent drivers have been caught out in this way?
When did this enforcement begin in this area and how many PCNs have been issued here? How many have been cancelled, paid, challenged, rejected, accepted, appealed, refused or allowed?
As outlined above we issued warning letters, rather than PCNs when the ULEZ was first expanded. The first PCNs were issued for contraventions on 23 November 2021.
We are unable to establish what you mean by ‘this way’ however, between 23 November 2021 and 15 February 2022, 329 PCNs were issued using an image captured from the same camera which was used on the PCN issued to you. This camera is located at the junction of Evering Road and Stoke Newington High Street.
On receipt of a PCN a motorist has a right to challenge the penalty by submitting a representation to us. If the representation is accepted the PCN is cancelled. If it is rejected the motorist is granted a further right of appeal to an Independent Adjudicator at London Tribunals.
Of the 329 PCNs issued using this camera image, we have received 33 representations. Of these 12 have been rejected, 17 have been accepted and 4 are awaiting a decision. Of the 12 representations which were rejected no appeals have been made to London Tribunals.
If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for some reason, 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
