Free Traffic Legal Advice

Hi there, it is not a PCN, but this happened to me:

I have an EV which is exempt from paying Congestion Charge in London and for the past 6 months I am driving it inside CC zone and I never received a single charge for it.

On 7th of April TFL is opening a new tunnel, the Silvertown tunnel, and it is  going to be paid along with the Blackwall tunnel also, so TFL started advertising all across London, that the easiest way to pay for those tunnel charges is to register your car to TFL AutoPay site - i did that, i added my EV there 3 weeks ago.

To my surprise, my bank notified me that £120 will be taken out from TFL by a direct debit, when i checked my TFL AutoPay account, i had charges for CC for every single day that I was in it, which is ridiculous to me.

Now the total charges are £180 and I removed the car from the AutoPay account.

So I am registering my car to pay for tunnels and at the end I am being charged for Congestion Charge while i should be exempt - how is this even legal, I cannot stand those thiefs...

Anyone in similar situation or advice what to do now?

Thank you so much

EVs are not really exempt from the congestion charge, they are charged £10 per year to 'register for an exemption'. TfL have never given any reasonable justification for this charge, nor any explanation for why registration of a vehicle isn't permanent, but reasonableness isn't their strong point.

This sets off alarm bells - are you the registered keeper and if so are the V5C logbook name and address correct?

Sorry to be pedantic...but 'I received a PCN' is a phrase applied by OPs to when they're not the registered keeper, the PCNs are not in their name but have been forwarded by an employer/lease company or whatever as to when the PCNs are addressed to them by name.

Are you the registered keeper and have the PCNs been addressed to you by name?

You have to register and renew the Congestion Charge Cleaner Vehicle discount for the vehicle annually. The annual fee is £10.
Be aware that the CV discount does not apply to the Silvertown and Blackwall tunnels.
And the the CV discount for the CC zone will be discontinued 25th? Dec 2025.

The £120 represents 8 trips into the CC zone so way fewer than the six months your reported. So the car must have been registered for the 100% CV discount for most of the six months else you would have received PCNs since the V5c is in your name and address.

Might it be that the car had been registered for the 100% CC discount by a previous owner and not deregistered when sold? This registration then expired after 12 months.
or
By registering a new AutoPay for the tunnels you've accidentally deleted or erased the Congestion Charge discount.

So unless you've already done so, please go back to the TFL website and get the CV discount registered.

And the only way you'll resolve the £120 is to explain your case to TFL and ask them to cancel the charges.

Hi there, it is not a PCN, but this happened to me:

I have an EV which is exempt from paying Congestion Charge in London and for the past 6 months I am driving it inside CC zone and I never received a single charge for it.

On 7th of April TFL is opening a new tunnel, the Silvertown tunnel, and it is  going to be paid along with the Blackwall tunnel also, so TFL started advertising all across London, that the easiest way to pay for those tunnel charges is to register your car to TFL AutoPay site - i did that, i added my EV there 3 weeks ago.

To my surprise, my bank notified me that £120 will be taken out from TFL by a direct debit, when i checked my TFL AutoPay account, i had charges for CC for every single day that I was in it, which is ridiculous to me.

Now the total charges are £180 and I removed the car from the AutoPay account.

So I am registering my car to pay for tunnels and at the end I am being charged for Congestion Charge while i should be exempt - how is this even legal, I cannot stand those thiefs...

Anyone in similar situation or advice what to do now?

Thank you so much

Hi, When you withdrew/cancelled were you able to get refund for false charges? Thinking to do the same... as it was much easier before signing up