Frequency of Penalty Charge notices on consecutive days and publication of ULEZ outside Greater London
Request ID: FOI-3278-2223 Date published: 27 March 2023
You asked
I would like to submit a formal FOI request concerning the two following issues
1. Please provide data on the number of PCNs issued on consecutive days in the last five years, broken down by the percentage of those receiving PCNs on consecutive days living in the Greater London area and those living outside the Greater London area.
2 The steps taken by TFL to publicise the ULEZ in the home nations of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and when these steps were taken and the methods used to do so.
We answered
TfL Ref: FOI-3278-2223
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 6th March 2023 asking for information about the ULEZ scheme.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy.
Specifically you asked:
“I would like to submit a formal FOI request concerning the two following issues
1. Please provide data on the number of PCNs issued on consecutive days in the last five years, broken down by the percentage of those receiving PCNs on consecutive days living in the Greater London area and those living outside the Greater London area.
2 The steps taken by TFL to publicise the ULEZ in the home nations of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and when these steps were taken and the methods used to do so.”
I can confirm that we hold the information you require.
In regard to Question 1, I am afraid it is not possible to source the requested information within the costs limit for responding to cases as set out under section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act. Under section 12, TfL is not required to provide information if it would cost more than £450 to determine if that information is held, and to then locate, retrieve or extract it from elsewhere. This is calculated at a rate of £25 per hour, equivalent to 18 hours work. In this instance the exemption applies because the information has not been compiled before, and there is no quick or efficient way of doing so. In order to source the information requested we would have to review data at the level of each individual PCN. With around 3.5 million PCNs issued in the period in question, this is clearly not possible within the costs limit.
In answer to Question 2, ahead of the implementation of the initial ULEZ scheme in central London on 8 April 2019, and the subsequent expansion of the central zone up to the north and south Circular Roads in October 2021, TfL ran large scale public information campaigns to raise awareness of the changes, and to explain who is affected and how the scheme operates to help drivers prepare. For each of these campaigns, we focussed our efforts on using channels that would cost effectively reach as many drivers as possible. Some of the channels we used reached a wider population outside of London, in some cases nationally. A summary is shown below:
Original Central London ULEZ TfL ran a multi-channel campaign to reach both private and commercial vehicle owners based within and outside London during the period May 2018 to July 2019. • Advertising ran in national press titles (Daily Mail, Daily Mirror & The Sun) as well as specialist press titles appearing nationally (Commercial motor, Truck and Driver, Bus and Coach Buyer, What Van, Fleet World, Van Fleet world, Motorcycle News).
• The distribution of the national press titles was as follows:
Daily Mail: England, Wales & NI: 1,063,076 and Scotland: 70,345 Daily Mirror: England, Wales & NI: 454,034 and Scotland: 7,885 The Sun: England, Wales & NI: 1,131,106 and Scotland: 167,463
• Over 600,000 letters were sent to owners of non-compliant GB registered vehicles driven within the central London area since October 2018. The letters were issued via the DVLA on behalf of TfL. TfL did not hold the details of the registered keeper details so we are unable to say how many of these letters were issued to drivers not registered within London.
• Information was included on Congestion charge receipt's and detailed information was published on the TfL website.
• Press releases were issued at key times in the run up to and at launch of the central ULEZ.
• Over 5.3m emails were sent out to customers registered with TfL.
• Signage was installed and in use in advance of the ULEZ being implemented. Early warning signage was installed at entrances to the zone from 4 weeks prior explaining the ULEZ was coming 8 April 2019, followed by permanent road signs at every entry point along the boundary and along key arterial approaches. Expansion of the central zone up to the North and South Circular Roads – October 2021 From 5 October 2020 the following channels were used to raise awareness and provide detailed information to help drivers prepare:
• Press releases – A number of press releases were issued during the course of the campaign, and they achieved widespread coverage. A number of articles appeared in national broadsheets such as the Financial Times, The Times, Guardian and Independent. There were a series of media events that resulted in the BBC and ITV interviewing the Mayor of London. • Specialist press titles - adverts appeared in the following national titles, What Van? Business Car, Fleet World, Van Fleet World, Van User, Electrical Contracting News, Electrical Time Magazine, Heating and Plumbing Monthly, Motorcycle News, What Car? And Route One. This ran in bursts during the campaign (July-Sept ’21, Oct-Nov ’21)
• Mailings - We also sent out 1,068,486 letters via the DVLA to registered keepers of non-compliant vehicles seen in the zone during July, August, September and October 2021 to advise of the new scheme and the requirements. TfL didn’t hold the name and address details of the registered keepers the letters were sent to. • Social media and online video – social media adverts ran on Facebook and Instagram and online video targeted London drivers via third party websites providing visual clarity on the area where the ULEZ expands up to. This ran in bursts during the campaign (Aug-Nov ’21) • Google search adverts - directed those interested to the TfL website for further information and to check their vehicle using the online vehicle compliance checker. This activity ran Oct ’21-Oct ’22 • Digital display adverts – this ran in bursts during the campaign during Oct-Nov ‘2020, Jan-Feb ‘2021, June-Oct ’21 and digital ads on Waze, a wayfinding navigation app, providing information to drivers of the new expanded boundary and where it operates during Feb-March ‘21, Sept-October ’21. • Emails – over 5 million emails were sent to customers registered with TfL. • Early warning signage was installed between July and Sept ’21, ahead of the expanded inner London zone coming into force, explaining the ULEZ was coming on 25 Oct 2021. Expansion of the inner London ULEZ across all London Boroughs – 29 August 2023
In January 2023, Transport for London launched a multi-channel campaign to raise awareness and to explain who is affected, where the expanded zone will operate and how the scheme operates including hours of operations, daily charge and how to pay. The campaign aims to encourage vehicle checking to help drivers prepare ahead of when the scheme expands from 29 August 2023.
Specialist trade press which are national titles– Horse & Hound, Camping & Caravan, Business Car, Fleetworld/Van Fleet World, MCN (Motor Cycle News), Bus & Coach Buyer, What Van, What Car?
National press – advertising will appear in national press and the titles we are planning to run advertising in has distribution in England, Wales & Northern Ireland: of 716,522 and in Scotland: 50,64
Paid search – using Google search adverts to direct people to TfL’s vehicle checker, 2023 expansion page and scrappage scheme page
Emails using the TfL database: TfL has sent over 4 million emails to customers registered both inside and outside London
Letters via the DVLA –TfL will be sending letters to owners of non-compliant vehicle owners seen in the expansion area. TfL does not hold the registered keeper details so we are unable to advise if any of these letters are targeted at drivers outside London.
All of this is supported by detailed information on the TfL website.
If this is not the information you are looking for 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,
David Wells FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
