Bromley driver forced to pay £16k after ignoring multiple ULEZ fines

The fines were issued to a home in Bromley after the driver failed to pay the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) charge.

In total, the driver had 45 court-issued warrants against them, but bailiffs were unable to track them down.

In July, Transport for London (TfL) enforcement agents eventually traced the driver to a home in Croydon, where they claimed they no longer owned the vehicle.

But it was then established that the driver received the fines before the vehicle was sold, and they were forced to settle the £16,000 owed.

TfL has said this is just one example of its increased enforcement activity against persistent ULEZ fine evaders in recent months.

In total, bailiffs have recouped more than £25 million in unpaid fines since the introduction of the London-wide ULEZ last August.

More than 1,400 vehicles were seized over the course of the last year, and cars owned by persistent non-payers worth more than £700,000 were sold.

TfL has now said it is tripling the number of people in its investigations team to crack down on repeat offenders.

Cameras check the number plates of vehicles driving in the zone, and if no charge is paid for a non-compliant vehicle within three days, a fine is sent to the registered keeper.

If the fine is then not paid, it is registered as an unpaid debt and an order made for its recovery.

The latest data shows that 96% of vehicles seen driving in the zone comply with emissions standards.

Alex Williams, TfL’s chief customer and strategy officer, said he wanted to send a “clear message” to vehicle owners that if they receive a fine, they should not ignore it.

He added: “The aim of the ULEZ is to clean up London’s air and remove old polluting cars from the road so no drivers need to pay, and no fines occur.

“There is only a small minority of drivers who are eligible for the charge, and even fewer who are refusing to pay – but we encourage anyone experiencing financial difficulties not to ignore PCNs, and to engage with our staff, who will work with you towards a resolution, including setting up debt payment plans.”

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