Transport for London (TfL) is clamping down on those that evade Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) issued for Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) contraventions.
TfL shows that 97% of vehicles seen driving in ULEZ are compliant with its emissions standards, but a specific group of drivers are persistently refuse to pay multiple outstanding penalties.
Recent data shows that 94% of the outstanding debt owed from all open UK-issued ULEZ PCNs is from persistent evaders.
Recent cases of TfL successfully tackling persistent evaders of ULEZ charges include:
In order to recoup the debt from unpaid PCNs across its road user charging schemes, TfL has been deploying an intelligence-led approach alongside enforcement action.
This can can include tracking evaders down to different addresses and employing more effective data-sharing with other national bodies, such as the Department for Transport and Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.
This has led to around £16.5m of debt related to road user charges and penalties being recovered through enforcement action and returned to TfL between January and June 2025.
TfL’s chief customer & strategy officer, Alex Williams, said: “We know that we need bold solutions to tackle the public health crisis and poor air quality in London and ULEZ does just that.
“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.
“If you’re ignoring it because you are facing financial difficulties, please instead engage with our staff, who can consider your individual circumstances and work with you.”
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