Keith Riding, an electric car driver, was wrongly fined £625 in London’s ULEZ/LEZ zones. TfL admits error and refunds charges.
He lives near London’s ULEZ. His kids gifted him a plate last Christmas. He registered it and set up auto-pay. He uses it for the Congestion Zone.
He was surprised to see £625 gone. TfL took it and charged him for the LEZ and ULEZ. His car shouldn’t have these fees at all.
The plate’s past might cause problems. A Northern Ireland commercial vehicle may have used it. This could be the reason for the mistake.
He drove his electric car for two years fine. Then the new plate arrived, which suddenly caused the charges to begin. It was a real shock.
The charges were for just two days. The LEZ cost £300 for two entries, and the ULEZ cost £12.50. Electric cars avoid these fees completely.
He registered for auto-pay for the Congestion Zone because he goes there for medical treatments sometimes. He only paid so he could enter easily.
Charges could have been much worse. He estimated that daily charges would reach £9,000.
TfL knew his car was electric. His account showed it as an “MG ZS SE EV”. The plate’s prior owner was likely commercial. That vehicle never went to London.
Northern Ireland plates often end with “Z”. He called TfL, expecting an apology. Instead, they told him to inquire online.
TfL fixed the issue now. They apologized for the error, confirming he received wrong ULEZ and LEZ charges wrongly. They confirmed his car follows the rules.
They refunded all the charges fully and contacted him to apologize, wanting to address any trouble caused.
He expects the reimbursement of his fines will happen soon. However, he warns others about new plates, as a new plate can cause problems.
He warns about financial risks clearly, stating that more charges daily would cost thousands, which he would suffer without being able to address easily.