1,400+ vehicles seized in London for not paying ULEZ fines

According to figures from Transport for London (TfL), more than 1,400 vehicles have already been seized by bailiffs in London for non-payment of Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) fines.

Since August last year, virtually all of London has been an environmental zone, the world’s largest pollution charging zone. That means users of polluting cars must pay a surcharge of 12,50 pounds, or about 14,60 euros, per day to drive into the city. The toll is controversial, as it is in every city where it is introduced.

Nearly 800 seized cars sold

Of the 1,429 older cars seized, 761 have been auctioned for 710,000 pounds. In one year, TfL has already collected 25,6 million pounds in fines. The money generated by the ULEZ fines is being invested in public transport, such as improving bus routes in the suburbs of London.

The ULEZ measure is intended to combat air pollution in the British capital. According to the city council, this still causes thousands of new cases of cancer, lung disease, asthma, and dementia among Greater London residents every year.

That is why the so-called Ultra-Low Emission Zone, which was already in place in the city’s most central parts, was extended to the entire city or all 32 London boroughs last August, making the ULEZ area almost four times larger. Thus, the zone’s population increased from 4 million to 9 million.

Anti-ULEZ Facebook group

But the ULEZ is also fiercely criticized. For example, an anti-ULEZ Facebook group with more than 45,000 members calls for not paying the ULEZ surcharge and vandalizing the program’s enforcement cameras.

According to TfL, however, a tiny group refuses to pay the fine, just as a small minority of drivers whose cars are seized by bailiffs. In the latter case, these are often persistent defaulters.

TfL cites the example of a driver with ten outstanding warrants, amounting to about 3,900 pounds, whose car was seized. In another case, one driver was forced to settle a balance of 16,000 pounds after 45 warrants were issued against him.

TfL said it is owed more than £370m in unpaid ULEZ penalty charges, but it believes that a significant amount of this debt would be recovered through law enforcement.

9 out of 10 cars meet the standards

To meet ULEZ standards, gasoline cars must generally have been registered for the first time after 2005. Most diesel cars registered after September 2015 are also exempt from the levy. Cabs of transportation for people with disabilities are also exempt. On average, more than 96% of vehicles entering the ULEZ meet the requirements.

Failing to pay the charge by midnight on the third day following a journey risks incurring a penalty charge notice for 180 pounds, reduced to 90 pounds if paid within 14 days. Ignoring this leads to the sum increasing to 270 pounds, and eventually, TfL can apply for a court-issued warrant to take action to recover debts, such as using bailiffs.

The organization also said it is tripling its investigations team size to boost its work with enforcement agents.

Much healthier air

According to a report from city hall, harmful air pollutants have dropped significantly since the ULEZ was enlarged. An analysis covering the first six months since the expansion found, for example, that total emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from cars were 13% lower than projected had the scheme remained confined to inner London. Levels of particulate pollution in the form of PM2.5 exhaust emissions are an estimated 22% lower than without the expansion.

The total change was equivalent to removing 200,000 cars from the road for one year.