have reviewed previous FOI requests/responses and I believe my specific question has not been answered, despite many alluding to the same subject. I would like to know how many payments made to TFL for the congestion charge (both the £11.50 and £14.00 amounts) could not be matched to a corresponding number plate. I would like this information from 01 January 2017 – current. I would like this broken down by month. I would assume that TFL would have to hold information about how much money they have received that couldn’t be matched.

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Our ref: FOI-4481-1718/GH

Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 9 February 2018 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. However, I can advise you that we do not hold the information you require.

The Congestion Charge scheme operates using Automatic Number Plate Recognition technology; this camera network records vehicle registrations along with an image of each vehicle. Each entry and exit into the Congestion Charge zone is clearly signed and as a vehicle either enters, leaves or drives within the zone its Vehicle Registration Mark is recorded by our camera network. At the end of the next charging day, when the payment period has expired, we manually verify the registrations against the database. If either a charge has been paid, the vehicle is registered for a 100% discount or if the vehicle is classified as exempt the image of the vehicle is deleted. Where this isn’t the case, the remaining registrations and images are retained for enforcement purposes.

As such we do not keep a record of when a Congestion Charge payment has been made but the vehicle wasn’t driven in the zone during charging hours.

There is provision for a charge payment to be amended. Should a customer purchase a charge for the wrong day or vehicle then they can contact us and ask for the charge to amended. This carries a small administration charge of £2.50. Charges can only be amended up to or on the day of travel.

If this is not the information you are looking for 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

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