London Ultra Low Emission Zone Charge

[kevlar]

Well my UK Open weekend just got more expensive. I stayed the Thursday night at a friends flat in Richmond then drove to Croydon on the Friday morning. That itself was a mistake as it took 1 1/2 hours!!. The bigger mistake was driving in the ultra low emission zone following my satnav. I was aware that I may have driven in the zone but was not aware of the penalty! A taxi driver told me it's about £15 but it's actually £12.50/day if paid in advance...as a penalty paid later it's £80!! . Maybe I'm the last to realise this, I just assumed I'd be billed later and expected it but a friggin' £80 fine!! . Richmond to Croydon is easily achievable without going in the zone but not knowing the area at all I'm 100% reliant on satnav which obviously picked the supposedly quicker route.

 

[Wayne J]

How were you informed Kev?
My SatNav told me that the end destination was in the environmental zone, so I couldn't avoid it.
I saw a couple of signs, but didn't see anywhere to pay.

Fingers crossed I may have got away with it, but doubtful.

 

[kevlar]

How were you informed Kev?
My SatNav told me that the end destination was in the environmental zone, so I couldn't avoid it.
I saw a couple of signs, but didn't see anywhere to pay.

Fingers crossed I may have got away with it, but doubtful.

Just got a letter today Wayne. If you look at the area the zone covers I shouldn't have gone anywhere near it ! Friggin satnav.

 

[paulg100]

this nonsense is starting in bristol soon, signs going up already.

Had to buy a new van to avoid a £10 a day charge

 

[Paul R Owen]

How were you informed Kev?
My SatNav told me that the end destination was in the environmental zone, so I couldn't avoid it.
I saw a couple of signs, but didn't see anywhere to pay.

Fingers crossed I may have got away with it, but doubtful.

https://ulez.co.uk/ulez-map/.
Circles inner London, same as Congestion zone.
Talk of extending this to the M25 next August. Time for a new mayor?

 

[Wayne J]

this nonsense is starting in bristol soon, signs going up already.

I haven't driven in to Bham city centre since they started it there either - only been to Tilt once (to see TS4)

 

[russdx1]

worse bit is no one actually gives a toss about the environment etc.. just money making and tick boxing exercise to make them look like they care.

 

[Pick Holder]

Anywhere in brum within the inner ring road is chargeable.

I had to get a newer vehicle too. My workshop, tilt, a38m is in the clean air zone

 

[russdx1]

Anywhere in brum within the inner ring road is chargeable.

I had to get a newer vehicle too. My workshop, tilt, a38m is in the clean air zone

I drove through some zone like this when visiting tilt but not got anything in post yet... My car is 19 plate and has Ad Blue so kinda hoping it maybe exempt?

 

[paulg100]

yep it will be exempt. Bristol is mirroring Birmingham i think.

i had to get a cat 6 diesel with the ad blue to comply.

Most annoying thing is my work place isnt in the zone. But it runs across the swing bridge out of hotwells which is the side i come in from. so the only way to avoid is to go around and over the clifton suspension bridge.

Can you imagine the traffic over the suspension bridge when this starts Russ, someone aint thought this through!.

 

[mark9]

Which satnav? Both google maps and waze apps should warn you if your route will enter the ulez zone.

 

[Spandangler]

****s me off. Country bumpkins like me had never even heard of the ULEZ when it first came out.
I drove into central London for the weekend thinking congestion charge doesn’t apply. Only to receive £160 worth of fines for ULEZ for the both days.

Went to Brent Cross last month. Clearly says it’s not in the ulez. So just before I enter the car park I hit a ulez camera!
I called them to find out if I needed to pay and they said they couldn’t tell me if I’d hit the camera!! I said I’m sure you’ll be able to find out when you send me the fine! Apparently it’s goes straight to dvla and they send out the fines.

It’s a joke. I feel your pain Kev.

 

[kevlar]

Which satnav? Both google maps and waze apps should warn you if your route will enter the ulez zone.

Crap Hinda civic satnav

 

[Calimori]

worse bit is no one actually gives a toss about the environment etc.. just money making and tick boxing exercise to make them look like they care.

That is a rather large over statement based on one set of opinions.

How I find out about these sort of charges is to plan my route in modern mapping tools. Which I understand not everyone uses. And their car satnav might not be up to date.
And they might drive an old car.
But working on a busy London street, it is a lot nicer place now more polluting vehicles avoid it.

 

[kevlar]

I don't get the pay up front small fee or pay afterwards big fine! Just bill the fee later, what's the difference? Unless of course IT IS all about money making....

 

[AlanJ]

I don't get the pay up front small fee or pay afterwards big fine! Just bill the fee later, what's the difference? Unless of course IT IS all about money making....

make a stand in court.

 

[M4carp]

My parents live in Acton which is in the zone, just. Was looking at RAV4’s last year and my 2013 2.2 auto 4x4 diesel was no charge but the same car with manual with lower emissions and cheaper road tax by £100 was chargeable!
My van is chargeable so told them if I come down in that they can pick me up from Gunnersbury park a few minutes away and just before the charge

They should just bill after, absolute joke. Must be making a ton of money.

 

[Paul]

Anywhere in brum within the inner ring road is chargeable.

I had to get a newer vehicle too. My workshop, tilt, a38m is in the clean air zone

Yup - caught me twice in as many days... and had to pay both £120 wasted...
(My fault as i completely forgot!)

Still doesnt stop them being robbing bastards tho..

 

[Calimori]

The scheme is designed to encourage uptake of ULEV cars in built up areas. I have not found a scheme (charge or toll) where they bill you after use, that would mean all vehicles would require a look up and letter which would add to the cost and admin.

I believe the primary issue here is not knowing about it and therefor not being able to pay the charge beforehand leading to a fine. This is worse for occasional users.

 

[russdx1]

The scheme is designed to encourage uptake of ULEV cars in built up areas. I have not found a scheme (charge or toll) where they bill you after use, that would mean all vehicles would require a look up and letter which would add to the cost and admin.

I believe the primary issue here is not knowing about it and therefor not being able to pay the charge beforehand leading to a fine. This is worse for occasional users.

First offenders which a lot will be accidental should be sent a letter and offered to pay the original cost before being fined, if they don’t pay or continue to offend then start fining. But fining straight off the bat is a ****ty way of doing it will just generate them more $$$

 

[Paul]

I believe the primary issue here is not knowing about it and therefor not being able to pay the charge beforehand leading to a fine. This is worse for occasional users.

If they were really thinking of the motorist they would have a website where you could put your car reg and date, and it would tell you if you were present and allow you to pay the charge.

 

[Colywobbles]

This is just a sign of things to come as Newcastle has now outlined plans for a congestion charge around the city centre albeit for older Taxis and HGVs to start with. Before we know it all major City's will have this cash cow generating revenue for the councils coffers with the excuse of promoting cleaner air. In reality it just keeps punters out of the city and the likes of my wife's shop suffering because of it with less footfall.
It seems we are no longer safe in our little bubble up North any more where normally government couldn't give a proverbial **** but happy to take a slice out of of our cake nonetheless.

 

[Arv]

You need to oppose it like we did in manchester.

 

[M4carp]

It seems we are no longer safe in our little bubble up North any more where normally government couldn't give a proverbial **** but happy to take a slice out of of our cake nonetheless.

That goes for everywhere, most of them are out for themselves and do not give a toss about us.

 

[Gonzo]

If they were really thinking of the motorist they would have a website where you could put your car reg and date, and it would tell you if you were present and allow you to pay the charge.

And that is the biggest con of all.

The website is intentionally complicated. You have to extrapolate your route and calculate whether you've entered the congestion charge area, LEZ, ULEZ or all of them.

Naturally much of this stuff is located on different pages and the navigation on the website is incredibly poor.

In short they know precisely where you've driven and how much you owe but they're not going to tell you. It's intentionally ambiguous because they want to confuse and issue the fine.

For the record I'm not remotely conspiratorial. I live 1 mile from the TRL (transport research laboratory), I have friends who work there and advised on the system. There is a far more streamlined and intuitive alternative which is not used because it would yield significantly less penalty revenue.

 

[Arv]

Colywobbles said:
It seems we are no longer safe in our little bubble up North any more where normally government couldn't give a proverbial **** but happy to take a slice out of of our cake nonetheless.

That goes for everywhere, most of them are out for themselves and do not give a toss about us.

Thing is it's not central government it's the councils that have agreed to this even when we voted no for a congestion charge many years ago. Unelected mayors feathering their own nests.

 

[Colywobbles]

You need to oppose it like we did in manchester.

They are trying but it seems to be falling on deaf ears. To put this is context and show how ridiculous this is here is a real world scenario.
The wife pays a small laundry company to collect towels three times a week and this costs her £40. If this company has to pay £15 each time they come into the city this will add more than they actually make doing the service which would be £45 in congestion charges. The company has said it will discontinue the service if this happens which will impact the Salon on top of the rising rent, insurance and less footfall. They are slowly killing the high street and my wife's Salon will just be another victim of this poorly thought out vision they have of our future inner city's.
As the name of my wife's Salon suggests "Salon 66" they will end a business that has been there over 56 years and she is only one of many, many smaller businesses that will be impacted.

 

[Arv]

Sounds exactly like the stunt they tried to pull here. Probably best to start a group similar to this one: https://www.facebook.com/groups/greatermanchestercaz

 

[Paul]

What the councils dont seem to get is that it will absolutely kill retail in those areas....Generally speaking though of course that doesnt affect THEM directly... Lets take Bristol who are due to go live soon. They will drive all the trade to Cribbs Causeway (South Gloucestershire).
Interestingly enough Cribbs applied for PP to extend their premises, however it was rejected based upon a complaint from Bristol City Council.... Sour Grapes???

It's the lack of transparancy and clarity that gets me. I have a 12 plate Audi TT, and it's a minefield...



So if i go to Bath, Bradford, Manchester, Portsmouth, Sheffiend or Tyneside then there's no charge. However, if i go to London, Birmingham, or Bristol then i get charged.... Why the differences?? Is it just the money-grabbing councils that take the £££???

The other thing i noticed is that in London you cannot miss the zones - Massive signs, road markings etc etc. Now in Birmingham it;s like they have gone out of their way to make them as small and un-noticable as possible... that cant be by mistake.....

 

[Arv]

Yes, the councils take the money and the emissions magically disappear into the ether.