To ask Londoners about the (seemingly sneaky) changes in TfL’s congestion charge?

[Piglet89]

We drove to visit friends on other side of London on Saturday 18 July. Today, we received an £80 penalty notice - because the days when Congestion charge is payable apparently changed on 22 June from just weekdays to include weekends.

tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2020/june/temporary-changes-to-the-congestion-charge-to-secure-safe-recovery

Seems this was really poorly publicised; I have an account with TfL and receive regular email travel updates from them: but nothing about this. We had no idea at all.

Anyone else suffered a similar misfortune? Strikes me as an incredibly easy way to shaft people out of cash, particularly if poorly publicised and, unlike Dartford Tunnel fee, you don’t get a chance to pay the charge within 24 hours or whatever.

The digital information boards on major roads for showing the information for at least a few days beforehand it went into force. And they are still showing now...at least on the one I went past in Limehouse yesterday.

Plus it was quite widely mentioned in the media?

I also had an email from TfL about it.

You could set up auto-pay so you just pay it automatically although it does cost a tenner a year for admin fees.

tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/autopay-apply-before-you-begin

Still seems incredibly unfair, not giving you a chance to pay the £15 charge first before slapping you with the £80 fine.

I had a similar situation in early July, but they just sent a warning letter that they would fine me next time. I didn’t know either and agree it was poorly publicised. Have the permanent boards on the edge of the zone been changed I wonder, not that I would have thought to check them...

Agree that is unfair to fine straight away. Has that always been the case?

I've just checked my emails and it was mentioned in the weekly update on 19th, 25th June and 2nd July

I knew about it, and I don’t have a car. Yes, changed to include weekends, and the weekday hours were extended as well. I wouldn’t have been caught out. We had to hire a car at about that time and knew we needed to be careful because of the change. I’m trying to think how I knew. Probably the newspaper or the radio.

Hmmm I guess that relies on people receiving weekly updates. I used to but don’t seem to any more. It should be a blanket communication to everyone with a TFL account.

I knew about it (there was a fair amount of press and much moaning in our local FB group) - but my friend was planning to drive across town the same weekend as you and knew nothing about it until I mentioned it.

I knew about the change. Contributed to the consultation process. I don't have a TFL account (because I only ever drive in the congestion zone outside the hours of operation). It's been on the news on R4 (where I get all my news). I wouldn't be surprised if they haven't changed the boards because it's been advertised as a temporary change - whether or not they try to sneakily make it permanent remains to be seen.

@Piglet89

Hmmm I guess that relies on people receiving weekly updates. I used to but don’t seem to any more. It should be a blanket communication to everyone with a TFL account.

You said in your OP that you receive regular updates.

@soupdragon I do receive regular email updates from Transport for London! Just not the weekly update! There were plenty of email updates concerning changes to do with Coronavirus, which I did receive, but none of them mentioned this. I’ve just gone back over and read through them.

I think the bit that was (IMO deliberately) very poorly publicised was the consultation process. The actual changes have been fairly widely circulated and announced as far as I can see.

I mean, sure - if I’ve temporarily been under a rock, fair enough...but give us a chance to pay the £15 first, Sadiq! Come on - we’re only human!

unlike Dartford Tunnel fee, you don’t get a chance to pay the charge within 24 hours or whatever.

This isn't how the Dartford crossing charge works. You have until midnight the day after you use the crossing to pay. If you leave it until you get a letter then it's a penalty charge - you don't get another 24 hours grace.

You get three days to pay with the congestion charge so that's actually better than the Dartford crossing but of course it's a much higher charge.

I don't know how well this change was publicised, we never drive in, so it's not something I'd look out for. It is unfortunate that it comes at a time when many more people will be driving into London to avoid the risk of public transport, but that's exactly why it's come in - TfL are really struggling and I don't know what London would be like if they went bust.

This whole pandemic is a bit unfortunate when you think about it.

It's rotten when you get stung by something like this but you don't have a hope of disputing this penalty charge. It's best to just pay it before it goes up and then you can forget about it.

Yanbu if you have a TFL account and get regular email updates.

They should have updated you about this charge by email.

I should think you could appeal it on that basis.

I live in London and only found out about this this week by reading a post on my local neighbourhood forum.

Overall I would say it has been really badly publicised.

I knew about it. I don’t live in London and I don’t drive there. It was on the BBC news & website, and in the national press

It's not sneaky in that it has been widely advertised. But it was brought in very quickly but tfl need the money.

I should think you could appeal it on that basis.

This would not be successful and OP would end up paying double.

She could submit a complaint about poor communication and ask for the £80 back as compensation. This will take months, if not years, in the current circumstances, and her complaint might not be upheld (very likely IMO).

Honestly OP, just pay it and put it out of your mind. Your time, effort and mental health are worth far more than £80.

If you can't afford to pay it then get help from somewhere reputable like CAB or StepChange.

I got stung too OP and I had no idea. No letter through my door or email. I've disputed it and awaiting a response.

Yanbu. I think it was extremely poorly advertised. I had no idea at all - we used to go into London occasionally on a Sunday. Obviously haven't done since before March. When people say it was advertised, where do they mean? Maybe it was only advertised in London itself? Metro/local radio or on posters? Hopeless really, given the people who will be affected by it are the people who live outside London, wanting to come in.

@LangClegsInSpace yep that’s right, come to think about it, about Dartford Crossing charge.

We’ll probably end up paying it and chalk it up to experience. Some agreeing it was poorly publicised, which is interesting.

I heard about it on Radio 4, I think, plus the national newspapers.

Agree with those saying it was widely mentioned in the national news, and implemented very quickly, virtually immediately. Definitely not just mentioned locally in London.

@Smidge001

Yanbu. I think it was extremely poorly advertised. I had no idea at all - we used to go into London occasionally on a Sunday. Obviously haven't done since before March. When people say it was advertised, where do they mean? Maybe it was only advertised in London itself? Metro/local radio or on posters? Hopeless really, given the people who will be affected by it are the people who live outside London, wanting to come in.

I don't understand why anyone would expect everything to be the same as it was before March. We have had five months now of laws, rules and guidance changing from one day to the next.

YABU. It was widely publicised - news and newspapers.