Request ID: FOI-4027-2324 Date published: 05 March 2024
You asked
1) How many ULEZ charges were paid in last 12 month period were paid by cars undetected by cameras in the ULEZ zone?
2) How many charges were refunded for ULEZ charges in the last 12 months paid for cars which were not picked up by cameras in the ULEZ zone?
3) How much money was received in ULEZ zone for charges for the month of December 2023?
4) How much money was received in ULEZ penalty fines for the month of December 2023
5) How many complaints does ULEZ receive every year from individuals who have been fined who believed that they had linked and registered a payment card to their account?
6) How does ULEZ store categories of complaints? (Penalty Payer demographics)
7) Please provide an age group breakdown of those who pay ULEZ penalty charges. What demographic records are recorded bu ULEZ of penalty charge payers.-
We answered
TfL Ref: EIR-4027-2324
Thank you again for your information request of 15th January 2024. 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. Your questions are answered in turn below, to the extent that we can:
Question 1) How many ULEZ charges were paid in last 12 month period were paid by cars undetected by cameras in the ULEZ zone?
And;
Question 2) How many charges were refunded for ULEZ charges in the last 12 months paid for cars which were not picked up by cameras in the ULEZ zone?
Answer: It may be useful if I outline how we operate the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) charging scheme. The ULEZ operates using Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology. Each entry point to, and exit from, the zone is 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. 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 and Auto Pay purposes.
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 ULEZ do not facilitate the refunding of unused daily charge payments. If we do refund a charge as a gesture of goodwill the reason for the refund is not recorded.
Question 3) How much money was received in ULEZ zone for charges for the month of December 2023?
Answer: For the month of December 2023 there were 1,374,094 daily charges made for ULEZ. £17,176,175 was received from these payments.
Question 4) How much money was received in ULEZ penalty fines for the month of December 2023?
Answer: As of 19 February 2024, we have received £4,416,964 in payment toward ULEZ Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) issued for journeys in December 2023. Please note that this figure will increase as more PCNs are paid over time.
Question: 5) How many complaints does ULEZ receive every year from individuals who have been fined who believed that they had linked and registered a payment card to their account?
Answer: We do not log complaints about ULEZ made for this reason at that level of specificity and there is no automated or efficient way of finding the answer. The only way to determine the answer would be to manually review every potential complaint. Given that this would involve reviewing thousands of such complaints individually, this aspect of your respect is being refused under Regulation 12(4)(b) of the EIR on the basis that it is ‘manifestly unreasonable’
Question 6) How does ULEZ store categories of complaints? (Penalty Payer demographics)
Answer: We have 4 specific ULEZ Complaint categorisations:
Auto Pay Complaint Complaint Discount Complaint Fleet Auto Pay Complaint
Question 7) Please provide an age group breakdown of those who pay ULEZ penalty charges. What demographic records are recorded bu ULEZ of penalty charge payers?
Answer: We do not record this information.
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
