THOUSANDS of drivers have been able to avoid receiving ULEZ fines this year because their details couldn’t be found in the database.
Transport for London have revealed that more than 400,000 motorists have swerved the much-hated ultra-low emission zone penalties because they simply couldn’t find their details.
GettyOver 400,000 drivers have avoided costly ULEZ fines because their details couldn’t be found in the DVLA database[/caption]
According to figures revealed by MyLondon that were taken between January 1 and August 29 2003, a staggering 417,080 ULEZ fines were left unpaid because of unavailable details in the DVLA’s database, including a number of vehicle’s registered abroad.
Motorists also swerved 114,274 Congestion Charge penalties this year for the same reason.
A DVLA spokesperson said: “Vehicle keepers have a legal responsibility to inform DVLA of any changes to their personal or vehicle details.”
Currently around 4,000 drivers are issued fines per day relating to ULEZ, with registration plates read between 75 and 80 million times a day by Sadiq Khan’s surveillance camera network.
Drivers of non-compliant vehicles, which is broadly considered to be pre-2005 petrol and pre-2015 diesel motors, are forced to fork out a daily fee of £12.50.
TfL is able to slap drivers with a penalty charge if they fail to pay the fee, which are set at £180 but decrease to £90 if paid within two weeks.
In August, London‘s Labour mayor extended ULEZ across all of London’s 32 boroughs, meaning £12.50 daily charges for anyone driving vehicles deemed too environmentally-unfriendly.
Opponents say it will harshly penalise poorer families unable to afford more modern cars which hit stricter emissions standards.
Tradesmen needing vans to carry supplies also face higher costs which would potentially be passed on to customers’ bills.
ULEZ was initially confined to central London when first introduced in April 2019.
It was then extended to all areas within the North Circular and South Circular roads in October 2021, covering 3.8million Londoners.
But now extra 5million people are living within the zone.
TfL has claimed that nine out of 10 cars seen driving in Outer London during a average day are ULEZ compliant.
However, more than two million drivers a DAY could be wrongly fined under Mr Khan’s ULEZ expansion and UK speed cameras.
Meanwhile, a scaffolder recently won a landmark legal ruling over clean air vehicle charges and is now raising money to take ULEZ to court.