Millions of pounds in Ulez fines challenged by European drivers who say rules weren't made clear
27 December 2023, 18:40
Sadiq Khan could be facing a blow as European lorry drivers launch a legal challenge against millions of pounds in London emissions zone fines.
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The Dutch truckers have said that £6.5 million in ultra-low emissions zone (Ulez) and low-emissions zone (Lez) fines were issued unlawfully.
The case represents the first time that foreign drivers have brought a legal challenge against Transport for London (TfL) and debt collection agency Euro Parking Collector (EPC).
The Ulez, which was expanded to cover the whole of London in August, requires drivers of older, more polluting vehicles to pay £12.50 a day in a bid to improve air quality in the capital.
The Lez, which is separate to the Ulez, means drivers of polluting lorries are charged to enter most of Greater London. Drivers who don't pay can be fined up to £2,000.
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Both zones apply to drivers of foreign cars as well as locals.
Some European drivers have said that the zones were not properly advertised to them, so were fined because they were unaware of the need to pay charges.
The Dutch lorry drivers have launched a legal bid to launch a judicial review in the High Court against TfL, which, they claim, has been unlawfully issuing fines in the Netherlands, the Telegraph reported.
Antonio Oliveira, the owner of Transport in Nood BV, which represents the claimants, told the paper that some companies had been bankrupted.
He said: "People have been really impacted. I have seen people in tears over this, others have had to sell their trucks. It is completely unjust, and we need to get an answer from an English court to find out if this is correct.
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"We are launching this claim to get the fines that have already been paid to be repaid, and the court costs. We are talking millions of pounds.
"We are only talking about Holland – it must be even greater across Europe. We are not the only country, of course."
Transport in Nood BV said clients received 10,000 fines from November last year.
Mr Oliveira said one lorry driver who transports flowers had received nearly €400,000 in fines.
Some drivers received hundreds of fines all at once, totalling tens of thousands of euros. Transport in Nood BV is set to claim that drivers would have been able to adapt to avoid future payments if fined earlier.
The company will also argue that the exchange rate used to issue the fines in euros was inaccurate.
A TfL spokesman said: “We have received a claim relating to penalty charge notices from claimants based in the Netherlands and are considering our response.”
