Request ID: FOI-3167-2425 Date published: 20 January 2025
You asked
1. How many appeals against the Congestion Charge have been made annually on the grounds that the driver was not aware they were in the Congestion Charge Area?
2. What percentage of appeals are made annually on the grounds the driver was not aware they were in the Congestion Charge area?
3. How much revenue has been raised annually by disallowing such appeals?
We answered
Our ref: FOI-3167-2425/GH
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 3 January 2025 asking for information about Congestion Charging.
Your request has been considered under the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and our information access policy. I can confirm that we do hold the information you require.
Please find below PCN data which is available from 1 January 2017 until 31 December 2024. (We do not hold the data requested prior to this date).
The table below shows the number of PCNs which were challenged and rejected on the grounds that the driver was not aware they were in the Congestion Charge Zone. It also shows the percentage of representations received under the same grounds and payments made towards the PCNs.
PCNs are issued to vehicles observed within the Congestion Charging Zone without having paid the relevant daily charge.
We do appreciate that not all motorists regularly travel within the charging zone and endeavour to ensure that sufficient information is available to help those who are not familiar with the requirements of the schemes in place. However, having passed signage to make them aware that they are entering or leaving the zone, the onus is ultimately on motorists to familiarise themselves with the rules of the charging schemes.
While we always take mitigating circumstances into account when considering representations against penalties, given the extensive signage in place at the zone boundary and the detailed information available on our website, we do not accept representations from those who state they were unaware of the need to pay or how to make payment.
It should also be noted that between 23 March 2020 and 17 May 2020, all road user charging schemes in London were temporarily suspended due to the COVID 19 pandemic. When the scheme was reinstated, the Congestion Charge schemes hours of operation were extended from 07:00 and 18:30, Monday to Friday to 7:00-18:00 Monday-Friday and 12:00-18:00 Sat-Sun and bank holidays. This is reflected in the data below showing an increase in PCN and representation volumes.
Year
Total Congestion Charge PCNs Issued
Total Representations against all PCNs.
Number of representations stating not aware of the Congestion Charge
% of representations which stated not being aware of the Congestion Charge
Payments towards PCNs following the rejection of the representation.
2017
807,534
133,481
980
0.70%
£67,377
2018
729,190
109,213
1,026
0.90%
£81,644
2019
740,775
141,793
1,017
0.70%
£73,095
2020
955,675
181,743
3,543
1.90%
£293,189
2021
1,158,944
178,240
7,816
4.40%
£710,078
2022
978,081
141,909
5,970
4.20%
£571,112
2023
900,798
140,563
6,540
4.70%
£687,057
2024
954,282
121,821
6,128
5.00%
£543,774
Total
7,225,279
1,148,763
33,020
2.90%
£3,027,324
Please let me know if this is not the information you are looking for. If you are not satisfied with this response please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.
