Free Traffic Legal Advice
Live cases legal advice => Civil penalty charge notices (Councils, TFL and so on) => Topic started by: unknown on May 11, 2026, 12:46:54 pm
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I suggest you make life easier by having one TfL account with a list of all the vehicles you drive, that way you're covered in almost every direction, ULEZ, C zone, tunnels etc. It deducts money from your account without the worry. Dartford Crossing has a similar system.,
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Don't just let it slide; make a complaint to TfL. They cannot ignore it, and then after that, you might be able to tie them up with a Local Ombudsman complaint.
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Update: I've paid the £90. Couldn't risk it going to £180.
I won't pretend I'm not furious. TfLs own system was broken, they acknowledged my multiple accounts, they didn't investigate the login fault I reported, and they still rejected me with a three-page copy-paste letter about how Autopay works. At no point did anyone actually try to help me resolve the issue.
The whole tunnel charging scheme is designed to generate revenue from PCNs rather than make it easy for people to pay. A system that locks you out of your account and then fines you for not using that account is not a system built for the motorist.
Honestly, I'd rather have a physical toll gate. At least then you pay on the spot and you're done. Instead we've got a system where you have to remember you crossed a tunnel, go home, navigate a broken website, and hope you don't get stung. The whole thing is broken by design.
Thanks to @Incandescent for the advice. At least I knew where I stood before making the decision.
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Conscious this would probably be the argument for TfL with the adjudicator, hence why I'm wondering if I stand a chance and risk paying £180
It's wouldn't be a 'slam-dunk' win for you. As you say, TfL will say "why didn't you just make a direct payment"
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Conscious this would probably be the argument for TfL with the adjudicator, hence why I'm wondering if I stand a chance and risk paying £180
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You are correct, I can go and pay that route. What I was trying to say though, I didn't want to go down that route without checking if automated payment was in place or not.
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It does work, but it has the Sign In on top first thing. I also didn't want to pay if it was setup for payment automatically, but then I couldn't verify anything because I couldn't sign in. I think I had it setup for a previous vehicle I owned... but again, I couldn't confirm anything.
But you don't have to sign in, you can just fill the page in and pay; at least that is my understanding.
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It does work, but it has the Sign In on top first thing. I also didn't want to pay if it was setup for payment automatically, but then I couldn't verify anything because I couldn't sign in. I think I had it setup for a previous vehicle I owned... but again, I couldn't confirm anything.
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Here is the screen to use to pay a one-off charge without having an account. Are you saying this doesn't work if you key in the vehicle details ?
https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/pay-the-charge-select-vehicle-26283
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Thanks for your resposne.
Please see below links to correspondence:
PCN - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1V1EGoPA65h0yK1jb2tnV90ngAIMkqOTk/view?usp=sharing
Evidence request - https://drive.google.com/file/d/19KMikKwCvVSLCH0b2nGcvsj-UP1YaJLw/view?usp=sharing
Rejection - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zfNLvrpWSRaK8zR0wcF-wFxsbpoIF5P8/view?usp=sharing
ScreenShot - https://drive.google.com/file/d/17WvDbH3_6CwohvOiZNsCdVk4ljcoOieh/view?usp=sharing
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We need to see the documents, (letters, PCN etc).So please read this and update your thread accordingly:-
https://www.ftla.uk/civil-penalty-charge-notices-(councils-tfl-and-so-on)/read-this-first-before-posting-your-case!-this-section-is-for-council-tfl-dartme/
I think this is the key to a successful appeal at London Tribunals: -
I'm aware you don't need an account to pay, you can pay without one. But every time I tried to access the payment system, the site kept looping me back to the login page because my credentials were stored. The login was broken, and the site wouldn't let me get past it to reach any payment option. I was going round in circles.
I suggest you try again, and capture the screen displays for use in an appeal to London Tribunals. Yes, it is risking the full £180, but your case looks quite strong from what you have told us so far.
Is it your vehicle, and do you hold the V5C Registration Certificate ? Responsibility for PCNs rests with the owner.
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Hi all,
After advice on whether to take this to London Tribunals or just pay.
PCN for failure to pay Road User Charge, Blackwall Tunnel, 05/04/2026. £90 discounted, £180 full.
I have an existing TfL account for the tunnel charging. On the day I crossed I tried logging in at reg.web.tflcc.co.uk to check my vehicle was registered properly, whether Autopay was set up, and whether it was still linked to a previously owned vehicle. Got "The login attempt has failed. Please try again." Tried password reset, failed. Created a new account, same error. Tried again the next day, same. Tried from phone, work laptop, and iPad, same on all devices. Still can't log in today.
I'm aware you don't need an account to pay, you can pay without one. But every time I tried to access the payment system, the site kept looping me back to the login page because my credentials were stored. The login was broken, and the site wouldn't let me get past it to reach any payment option. I was going round in circles.
Submitted a representation explaining all this with a screenshot of the error. TfL sent a "Request for Further Evidence" asking why I haven't registered for Autopay. They confirmed they found my "accounts" (plural). I submitted further evidence explaining I can't register because I can't log in, and asked them to check their server logs. Called their helpline as directed, got bounced between numbers, nobody resolved the login issue.
Got a Notice of Rejection from D. Milton. 3 pages!!! copy-paste job explaining how Autopay works. Didn't address the login failure. Didn't confirm whether they checked their logs.
The only evidence I have on my end is screenshots of the login page returning the same error: "The login attempt has failed. Please try again."
Ground at tribunal would be "In the circumstances of the case, no penalty charge is payable." Has anyone seen adjudicators rule on system-failure cases like this? Worth it or should I just pay?