Ulez camera turned off after more than 900 drivers wrongly fined
4 October 2023, 11:19
An ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) camera had to be switched off temporarily after more than 900 drivers were wrongly fined.
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The camera in Harrow, north-west London, is outside the Ulez. Some 927 drivers were wrongly captured on the camera and handed fines.
Transport for London (TfL) has moved the camera and refunded the drivers for the fines - which could have netted the transport agency more than £166,000.
The camera is now within the zone, and TfL said it had checked all of its boundary cameras were in the right position.
It came after Harrow Council urgently asked the transport agency to check the camera, after reports that people were being wrongly fined.
Read more: More than 750 Ulez-related crimes recorded by Met Police in just six months
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The Conservative-controlled council said the implementation of Ulez had been "a disaster for people", Harrow Online reported.
Deputy council leader Cllr Marilyn Ashton said Ulez represented an "unfair tax" on motorists.
She said at a council meeting: "We in Harrow have one particular borough, Hertfordshire, which abuts the northern boundary. Most of it is in Stanmore ward, some of it just goes into Harrow Weald, and there are severe difficulties.
"People have been photographed, unfortunately, driving along Old Redding and turning left into Common Road.
"A lady was telling me she had been fined and she couldn't understand why because she was driving on a non-Ulez road."
Khan defiant about Ulez expansion amid protests
A TfL spokesperson said: "We apologise for this error. Unfortunately this camera was incorrectly positioned.
"It was switched off once we were informed of the error and has been repositioned. We have refunded any charges that were wrongly issued."
Ulez was expanded to cover the whole of London on August 29 this year.
Anyone who has an older, more polluting car has to pay £12.50 per day to drive in the capital, or face a fine of up to £180.
Many drivers consider the expansion unfair on them, especially during a time of increased costs for many. Labour mayor Sadiq Khan and his backers say Ulez is worth it for the improved air quality
