Drivers in the capital have paid millions to Sadiq Khan’s punishing Ulez scheme in the past six years since its launch with fines reaching record levels.
It comes after a Freedom of Information request found that more than £70million have been raised through Ulez penalties from drivers living in London.
The London borough of Croydon paid the most in fines forking out £4million, followed by Hillingdon (£3.8million), Ealing (£3.7million) and Enfield (£3.5million).
The increase in penalties was aided by the expansion of the scheme in 2021 to include both the North and South Circular roads with it growing further in 2023 to include the whole of Greater London.
Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailingmotoring@gbnews.uk
Drivers in London have paid more than £70million in Ulez penalties
PA
Despite this, a Transport for London spokesperson has reaffirmed the authority’s stance on the penalties stating that the Ulez “is not about making money”.
They said: “Any income generated from the Ulez is being reinvested back into the public transport network, including improving bus routes in outer London.”
The FOI detailed how nearly one million fines were handed out last year, making it one of the biggest amounts issued since 2019 with TfL bringing in £5.6million through penalties.
However, TfL did note that £2.4million was eventually given back to drivers through refunds between August 2020 and July 2024.
To be Ulez-compliant, cars must meet certain requirements. Petrol cars must meet Euro 4 emissions rates while diesel cars must adhere to Euro 6 emissions.
Petrol cars that meet the standards are generally recorded as ones first registered as new with the DVLA after 2005, although cars that meet the standards have been available since 2001.
As for diesel cars, they meet the standards if first registered with the DVLA as new after September 2015. Electric cars and many hybrid models are exempt from the fines.
Under the Ulez rules, drivers who fail to meet the standards are forced to pay a £12 daily fee for entering the Ulez zone. But if a motoristavoids paying the charge they can be slapped with a £180 penalty, although the fee is reduced to £90 for payment within 14 days.
According to the data, the biggest year for fines was in 2022 when £22.1million was raised through penalties, although this only includes the 32 London boroughs.
While every borough has seen sharp spikes in Ulez fines, the City of London paid the least amount with only a £58,000 rise.
This was followed by Camden (£950,000), Kensington, Tower Hamlets and Hammersmith which all paid £1.2million respectively.
The TfL spokesperson added: “The expanded Ulez has led to cleaner air while generating ever smaller net revenues, as has been the case with the previous expansion to inner London where people switched to greener vehicles. The most recent data shows that on average, more than 96 per cent of vehicles seen driving in the Ulez are compliant.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
The Ulez was expanded in 2023 to cover the whole of Greater London
PA
“It should be noted, we do exercise discretion and take mitigating circumstances into account when considering challenges against the issue of PCNs.
“This often results in representations being accepted despite the penalty being correctly issued. Such examples would include a motorist inadvertently paying the daily charge for an incorrect registration or date of travel. Therefore the cancelling and refunding of a PCN does not indicate it was incorrectly issued.”
