Keith Riding, an electric car owner, wrongly fined £625 for emissions in London. He believes number plate linked to past non-electric vehicle.
Keith’s kids gave him the number plate as a Christmas gift. He lives near London’s ULEZ and registered everything correctly, even signing up for auto-pay with TfL.
He expected occasional Congestion Zone trips, but was shocked by the £625 charge. His electric car should be exempt, yet he was charged for London’s LEZ and ULEZ.
Keith believes a past owner is to blame. The old owner may have had a commercial vehicle, which probably wasn’t electric. The plate ends in Z, which is common in Northern Ireland.
His car is listed correctly with TfL, showing as an electric MG ZS. Keith called TfL to complain and they told him to make an online enquiry. He expected a quick refund after this.
TfL said they fixed the issue and refunded all the charges. They also apologized to Mr. Riding. Keith hopes to get his money back soon, but he worries about future incorrect charges hitting him.