Drivers who have been wrongly issued with Ulez charges due to vandalised enforcement cameras will have their penalties cancelled, Transport for London (TfL) has pledged.
A pair of Ulez cameras in Chingford had been twisted the wrong way around by vandals so that they were facing roads outside the clean air zone boundary.
It meant that non-compliant vehicles were being captured by the cameras and charged £12.50 per day, despite the fact they were not driving within the area covered by the Ulez.
Emma Best, a Tory member of the London Assembly, had urged mayor Sadiq Khan in a public meeting last week to resolve this issue, pointing out that the same issue had arisen in July, but has since happened again.
“This is now a new fun sport to some people, and it’s daily,” she said, adding that TfL was “refusing people’s appeals” after being unfairly charged.
Mr Khan promised to follow up on her request by speaking with TfL.
In comments to the Local Democracy Reporting Service this week, Ms Best said: “TfL have continually shown that they have completely lost control of the administration of fees and fines, and are not even able to correctly identify the zone.
“Dozens of residents contacted me after being fined for driving outside the zone and subsequently having their appeals rejected by TfL. For those with auto-pay, they have discovered there is no way to challenge a charge on their account. It’s absolutely ridiculous.
“Ulez expansion continues to punish the poorest and most vulnerable in outer London in ways we didn’t even expect. If the mayor can’t secure his Ulez expansion cameras or identify obvious faults then he can take them down.”
Responding to Ms Best, a TfL spokesperson said: “We are aware that some cameras at the Ulez boundary in Chingford became misaligned through acts of vandalism to point outside the boundary. The cameras have since been fixed and realigned, and any penalty charges issued incorrectly during this short period will be cancelled.
“Vandalism is unacceptable and all incidents on our network are reported to the police for investigation. Criminal damage to Ulez cameras puts the perpetrators at risk of prosecution and injury, while simultaneously risking the safety of the public. Camera vandalism will not stop the Ulez operating London-wide. All vandalised cameras are repaired or replaced as soon as possible.”
