Ulez: Londoner's car CLAMPED despite driving vehicle that complies with eco-rules

The Londoner, who owns a compliant 2021 Hyundai Hybrid, changed the number plate to a personalised one when they purchased the vehicle in May last year.

They have speculated their choice to personalise their registration number could have led to the penalty notices.

Transport for London (TfL) had acknowledged that the driver’s vehicle was compliant after the driver flagged to them that they had received multiple penalty notices.

The driver explained: "To my surprise, I received an Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) penalty charge notice on June 9, despite the vehicle being compliant with Ulez standards. Two more charges followed. I challenged these and, meanwhile, received more penalties."

Despite withdrawing these fines on multiple occasions, one was not cancelled, and the driver’s car was subsequently clamped in December.

They continued: "As a health professional, I need access to my vehicle to attend to patients. I had to pay nearly £600 to get my car unclamped."

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A TfL spokesman said: "We are working on ways to increase the frequency of the updates.

"Should any customer find this has happened to them, we urge them to contact us as soon as possible with the appropriate documentation so we can ensure their vehicle is registered as meeting the standards."

It is understood that the driver's £600 has since been reimbursed.

Sadiq Khan’s controversial clean-air scheme was expanded in August last year to Greater London with drivers of non-compliant vehicles now expected to pay £12.50 a day to drive into the city.

An automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) system identifies vehicles which are required to pay.

Anyone who drives within the zone with a non-compliant vehicle and fails to pay the daily fee are initially sent warning letters before further action is taken.

The mayor's expansion decision sparked concerns over its adverse impact on those on low incomes and in the capital’s outer boroughs.

However, Khan stressed that he was "immensely proud" of how his administration has tackled the climate crisis through measures such as Ulez.

A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: "The expanded Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) will bring cleaner air to five million more people and will save lives and protect children’s lungs.

"The Mayor has always been clear that expanding the ULEZ was a difficult but necessary decision, and he listened closely to those with concerns. That’s why he expanded the scrappage scheme to ensure any Londoner affected is eligible to apply for thousands of pounds in help."

A TfL spokesperson said: “We are sorry that Ms Dada has incorrectly received a ULEZ penalty charge. We have cancelled the fines incurred and have contacted her to apologise for the distress this has caused.

“We receive updates from the DVLA on a four-weekly basis, ensuring we have the latest data on vehicle compliance available. However, there may sometimes be customers who have swapped private number plates who find that their new vehicle is not included in the latest update and will unfortunately be registered as non-compliant until the following update a month later. We are working on ways to increase this frequency.

“Should any customer find this has happened to them, we urge them to contact us as soon as possible with the appropriate documentation so we can ensure their vehicle is registered as meeting the standards. We would also encourage drivers to check our vehicle checker after they have swapped a private number plate. If they believe their vehicle is compliant but is showing as non-compliant, they should follow the advice on the website so we can correct our records.”