Sadiq Khan urged to make major Ulez changes as drivers risk 'unnecessary fines'

Felix Reeves
Tue, 07 Apr 2026 10:36:57 +0000

Sir Sadiq Khan has been urged to make Ulez charging areas around London clearer to ensure motorists are not unfairly charged for driving.

New data has shown that just 23 per cent of drivers were "very familiar" with Ulez charges, although a staggering 47 per cent didn't realise that they needed to check their status and pay manually if required.

Almost four in five motorists said they were concerned about being accidentally fined because they were unaware of Ulez rules or did not see any reminders for the charging zone.

While the Ultra Low Emission Zone has been in place for a number of years, many are still unsure of the exact charging area, especially along the M25.

TRENDING

Stories

Videos

Your Say

Experts have called on Sir Sadiq Khan to take steps to make the charging area clearer to protect petrol and diesel car owners from expensive fines.

The zone operates across all London boroughs and the City of London, although the M25 around the capital is not included.

Transport for London states that drivers of non-compliant cars must pay the £12.50 charge "even if you make a short trip inside the zone".

Chris Green, founder and CEO of Regit, said motorists "should not be left to navigate a system this unclear" and risk fines when it comes to the Ulez scheme.

He said: "There is no excuse for it. The technology exists to make this far simpler, with better reminders, clearer prompts and more timely warnings, but that is clearly not where the focus has been.

“Sadiq Khan and TfL could do far more to help drivers avoid unnecessary charges and fines if it chose to invest in clearer communication and a better user experience.

"Instead, too many motorists are still being left to work it out for themselves, often when it is already too late. That is not good enough."

To help drivers avoid potential fines, Regit has launched a new campaign to inform drivers about the Ulez zone and how they could be fined without knowing.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

Electric car sales peak with best-ever month despite calls for 'urgent review' of EV targets

BYD achieves 'record-breaking' sales as Chinese car giant plans major UK expansion

Motorists offered £21,000 to surrender driving licence in radical plan to remove cars from roads

Advertising can be seen on 53 digital screens across 11 motorway service stations and is set to run for the next two weeks.

Drivers will see them at service stations including Beaconsfield, Birchanger Green, Clacket Lane E&W, Cobham, Heston E&W, London Gateway, Pease Pottage, South Mimms and Thurrock.

The screens will urge motorists to check their status with the Ulez scheme before they continue on their journey and risk a potential fine.

Research found that only 53 per cent of people said motorists must check and pay the Ulez charge manually, while 17 per cent falsely assumed that they would be informed automatically.

TfL data shows that 94 per cent of outstanding debt owed from all Ulez penalty charge notices were from persistent evaders, as of September last year.

Despite this, more than 97 per cent of vehicles travelling in the capital are Ulez-compliant, as TfL urges motorists to sign up to Auto Pay if they frequently drive in London.

Mr Green continued, saying: "At Regit, we are on the side of the motorist. Our job is to help drivers stay informed, stay legal and avoid unnecessary costs, which is exactly why we have launched this campaign.

"If the authorities are not going to do enough to protect people from being caught out, someone has to step in and help."