Briton slapped with Ulez fine... despite his car sitting in garage for last two months
The Ulez expanded to cover Greater London in August
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A driver in London has slammed Sadiq Khan’s Ulez scheme, after he was issued a fine despite his car being parked in a garage for two months.
Richard Roberts, 42, branded Transport for London (TfL) as “incompetent” after he was incorrectly charged for driving in the ultra low emissions zone.
The disgruntled motorist discovered that a Ulez camera had confused another vehicle’s number plate with his car’s, as the license plates were the same apart from the first letter.
He was sent a £90 fine by TfL, which would have increased to £180 if not paid within two weeks.
WATCH NOW: A tank has driven through London to avoid a Ulez charge
Roberts, who lives in Winchmore Hill, north London, is the owner of four cars.
His address was not previously subject to Ulez restrictions, however when the scheme was expanded, he “reluctantly” registered them onto TfL’s autopay system.
His VW Golf, the car that has been issued the fine, was non-compliant so he then decided to declare it as Statutory Off-Road Notification (SORN).
Roberts then stored it in a garage for winter.
Yet last week, the 42-year-old was stunned when he received a Ulez fine for the off-road vehicle.
The vehicle the cameras picked up was actually an Enfield council van, which had the same number plate apart from the first letter.
ULEZ LATEST:
Photos taken by the Ulez device show a vehicle in front of the van obscuring the start of the plate. In the photo, the van appears to have a registration number of (J20 VTT), the exact same as Roberts’ VW Golf.
However, a second photo taken moments later when the vehicle ahead has moved slightly, reveals the full number plate of the Enfield council’s van to be MJ20 VTT.
After receiving the incorrect fine, Roberts quickly appealed it.
He told the MailOnline: “Last week I logged on to my autopay account and I was stunned to see they’d charged me.
“There had been no email and no notification - they’d just charged me.
“It’s staggering. Not only do the pictures show it’s a peugeot van with a different number plate it’s also an Enfield council van!
“The camera took the evidence itself and the system still charges - it’s two for the price of one!
Sadiq Khan has faced mounting pressure for his expansion of UlezPA“I appealed straight away, and it asked me to submit evidence. I just said: Look at your own photos!”
His experience left him wondering about the credibility of the scheme.
He pointed out the supposed hypocrisy of Enfield council, who he claims were very pro-Ulez yet one of their vans has been caught offending.
A spokesman for TfL said: 'We apologise for any distress this has caused to Mr Roberts.
“This is a very rare occurrence, but unfortunately our Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras have misinterpreted the registrations on the other cars as Mr Roberts’ registration and incorrect charges were applied.
“We have refunded all charges paid and have put in extra measures involving further checks to avoid this happening in future.
“We urge anyone who believes they have been sent a penalty charge notice incorrectly to contact us at the earliest opportunity so we can investigate thoroughly.”
London’s controversial Ulez scheme was extended in August 2023 with Khan highlighting the benefits it presents to cutting harmful emissions.
Around 700,000 extra drivers are included in the zone, with non-compliant vehicles facing a £12.50 daily charge for driving inside Greater London.