Ulez fine evaders face bankruptcy threat

Drivers who persistently refuse to pay ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) fines could be made bankrupt, Transport for London (TfL) has said.

The transport authority made the claim as it vowed to enhance its crackdown on a “specific group of drivers” with long-standing Ulez debts.

Some 94% of Ulez debt is owed by people with at least four outstanding penalty charge notices (PCNs).

TfL said it “continues to ramp up its efforts to deliver stronger enforcement”, which in “extreme cases” could lead to an individual facing “bankruptcy proceedings” if they refuse to settle their debts.

Other action could include ensuring debts are paid before a property is sold, and recovering money from a person’s earnings through their employer.

TfL is also trialling changes to the style and format of its PCNs, aimed at explaining the process better in an attempt to encourage more recipients to pay up.

The authority said it was deploying an “intelligence-led approach” which included tracking evaders down to different addresses and more effective data sharing with national bodies such as the Department for Transport and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority.

This led to around £16.5 million of debt related to road-user charges and penalties being recovered between January and June, according to TfL.

More than 530 vehicles were seized by enforcement agents over that period.

Alex Williams, TfL’s chief customer and strategy officer, said: “With 97% of vehicles seen driving in London now Ulez compliant, only a very small minority of vehicles now don’t meet the standards.

“Most drivers who have vehicles that are liable for the charge are responsible and pay it.

“It is only a small group of persistent evaders who fail to do so.

“We want to make it clear that if you receive a penalty charge for driving in the zone, you should not ignore it.

“Your penalty will progress to enforcement agents to recover what you owe, and there is a risk that your vehicle and other items of property will be removed.”

Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan extended the Ulez from everywhere within the North and South Circular roads to cover all London boroughs on August 29 2023, creating the world’s biggest pollution charging zone.

For petrol cars to meet the Ulez requirement, they must generally have been first registered after 2005.

Most diesel cars must have been registered after September 2015 to be exempt.

Most vehicles that do not meet minimum emissions standards and do not benefit from exemptions are required to pay a £12.50 daily fee for entering the Ulez.

Non-payment can lead to a PCN, which can escalate up to £280 if ignored.

At the end of the last financial year, the total value of unpaid Ulez PCNs was £789.1 million.

This included money expected to be paid as well as amounts owed by persistent evaders.