London drivers owe nearly £380 million in unpaid Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) fines, according to London Mayor Sadiq Khan. The mayor announced a "clampdown"
to recover the £376 million owed to Transport for London (TfL) due to unpaid fines.
Speaking at the London Assembly, Mr. Khan pointed out that TfL is not alone in dealing with unpaid penalty charge notices (PCNs) and emphasized that 96% of vehicles in London comply with the city's emission standards, meaning they do not incur Ulez charges. Ulez was expanded to cover all 32 boroughs of London in August 2023 to combat air pollution.
Conservative assembly member Neil Garratt expressed concern about the substantial amount of unpaid fines, stating that the Ulez expansion disproportionately affects low-income individuals. PCNs are issued when drivers of non-compliant vehicles fail to pay the £12.50 daily charge required to enter the zone. The penalty for failing to pay is £180, though it can be reduced by half if settled within two weeks.
Mr. Khan stressed that non-payment of fines is illegal, noting that only 0.27% of total drivers, including compliant vehicle owners, received a PCN. He said TfL is actively working on new strategies to recover the outstanding debt, including partnering with the Department for Transport and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. TfL is also increasing the use of civil recovery methods, such as county court judgments, to reclaim the unpaid fines.
"We will not stop until all avenues are exhausted and every penny we can recover is received," Mr. Khan asserted.
The mayor also explained that part of the reason for the mounting PCN debt is the lengthy process of independent arbitration when drivers contest fines, which can take several months to resolve.
Garratt raised concerns about low-income drivers in outer London, who may struggle to afford new cars or pay the Ulez charge. However, Mr. Khan refuted the idea that unpaid fines were primarily due to financial difficulties, reiterating that breaking the law carries consequences.
At the same assembly meeting, Mr. Khan addressed a critical report from the police inspectorate that found the Metropolitan Police failing in nearly all areas. While Liberal Democrat assembly member Gareth Roberts criticized the mayor's leadership over the past eight years, Mr. Khan responded by acknowledging the challenges but emphasized that the Met Police is making progress in rebuilding trust and improving performance. Photo by Matt Brown, Wikimedia commons.