Can you help a non-Londoner with ULEZ please? I don’t think we need to pay. Is this right?

[ginmcginface]

I have posted this on the local London thread, but haven’t had a reply (and am worried I’ll forget all about it!), so am posting here for traffic.

Apologies, I obviously live in a countryside bubble, but this is all new to me.

So, today we drove dh’s old (and therefore chargeable) car from Oxford to White City and passed the signs. I have googled and am now more confused than before. Partly because I don’t know where the congestion zone area is. And also I’ve read that outside of the congestion zone area, ULEZ is not chargeable until 2021. I’ve looked on the tfl website and i think it says we don’t need to pay.

Before we get a fine, is this correct?

Thanks for any guidance.

Congestion zone is central London so it doesn't sound as if you entered it. From October 2020 (I think) the ULEZ will be enlarged to arrange within South and North Circular roads so the same journey then will be chargeable.

You would know if you entered the Congestion Zone as there are lots of signs and a ton of cameras along the periphery. I hardly ever use it but from memory, the road markings also let you know that you are entering it.

Thanks lala. I’m fairly certain we didn’t go in the congestion zone, but definitely passed signs for ULEZ. I’m ashamed to say I didn’t really know anything about it

Off the top of my head the ULEZ is the current congestion charge zone. If you only went as far as White City you'll be fine and not all vehicles have to pay the ULEZ charge. The TFL website has all the info about it.

You may have passed a sign warning that you were getting close to the ULEZ or congestion zone, which they have 1-2 miles out but on arterial routes into the city.