LEZ registration

[Jean-Marie]

Last week I recieved a notice of € 1200,30 for driving with my Cali on the A20 at Sidcup without LEZ registration.
It was May 2022 and we where driving home to the Netherlands after visiting our daughter at Sidcup.
We did know about the ULEZ but the LEZ registration is new for us.
After registration my California at PLCepc it seems not to meet the required standards.
My VW California is delivered in the Netherlands in april 2011 and has a 1968 cm3 motor, 103 kW (Euro4)
Did someone with a similar Cali, registered in the UK, a test on https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/check-your-vehicle/ to see if it meets the required standards?
In my opinion it should be Ok. The Cali is our only car and we like to keep visiting our daughter without paying £ 300 per day.

Jean-Marie van den Steenhoven

 

[Amarillo]

Last week I recieved a notice of € 1200,30 for driving with my Cali on the A20 at Sidcup without LEZ registration.
It was May 2022 and we where driving home to the Netherlands after visiting our daughter at Sidcup.
We did know about the ULEZ but the LEZ registration is new for us.
After registration my California at PLCepc it seems not to meet the required standards.
My VW California is delivered in the Netherlands in april 2011 and has a 1968 cm3 motor, 103 kW (Euro4)
Did someone with a similar Cali, registered in the UK, a test on https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/check-your-vehicle/ to see if it meets the required standards?
In my opinion it should be Ok. The Cali is our only car and we like to keep visiting our daughter without paying £ 300 per day.

Jean-Marie van den Steenhoven

As far as I can tell the requirement for vans in the LEZ is Euro 4 (Euro 6 for HGVs).

===

Vans and other specialist vehicles including 4x4 light utility vehicles, motorised horse boxes, breakdown and recovery vehicles and dual-purpose vehicles exceeding 1.205 tonnes unladen weight (ULW) and not exceeding 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight (GVW) will require a minimum emissions standard of Euro 3 (PM) or pay a daily charge of £100.00.

===

London Low Emission Zone (LEZ) Information & Guidance

<p>Comprehensive information about the Greater London Low Emission Zone, from areas covered to options to meet the standards.</p>

logistics.org.uk

However, foreign vehicles need to be registered, and it appears that you have been penalised for not being registered.

The fine should be £250. I think this is a once only penalty - not per day.

Penalty charges for the LEZ

When you might be issued a penalty charge, and how to pay

tfl.gov.uk

Can you scan the penalty charge notice and post it here?

 

[Jean-Marie]

It's in dutch unfortunately.

 

[westfalia]

I received a similar letter a few years ago.

I contacted the LEZ office and appealed the fine, the nice lady
said that I had to register my vehicle with them, which I did and the
fine was dropped.

Once a foreign vehicle is registered showing that it is compliant, it is good
for about 5 years.

LEZ - Worthing. 0044 207 310 8998

 

[WelshGas]

Last week I recieved a notice of € 1200,30 for driving with my Cali on the A20 at Sidcup without LEZ registration.
It was May 2022 and we where driving home to the Netherlands after visiting our daughter at Sidcup.
We did know about the ULEZ but the LEZ registration is new for us.
After registration my California at PLCepc it seems not to meet the required standards.
My VW California is delivered in the Netherlands in april 2011 and has a 1968 cm3 motor, 103 kW (Euro4)
Did someone with a similar Cali, registered in the UK, a test on https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/check-your-vehicle/ to see if it meets the required standards?
In my opinion it should be Ok. The Cali is our only car and we like to keep visiting our daughter without paying £ 300 per day.

Jean-Marie van den Steenhoven

Have you registered your vehicle with TFL?

 

[Hawthorn37]

I hope you get this resolved the same as @westfalia. It’s a very punitive fine.

 

[Amarillo]

I hope you get this resolved the same as @westfalia. It’s a very punitive fine.

It’s a ridiculously high fine. Not for driving a non compliant vehicle, but for not knowing that a compliant foreign vehicle needs to be registered with TfL.

I still don’t understand why the fine is £1000 not £250.

Phone TfL and ask what is required to get the fine withdrawn.

 

[Jean-Marie]

Have you registered your vehicle with TFL?

I did it at EPCpcl but was rejected. Two times, without reason why.
Did it a third time in English with more information. I hope it is accepted now.

 

[Jean-Marie]

I received a similar letter a few years ago.

I contacted the LEZ office and appealed the fine, the nice lady
said that I had to register my vehicle with them, which I did and the
fine was dropped.

Once a foreign vehicle is registered showing that it is compliant, it is good
for about 5 years.

LEZ - Worthing. 0044 207 310 8998

Thanks, I will contact/ring them.

 

[Dyddi]

This looks like a scam.
Do we have any members who live in the Sidcup area and could clarify? As a Bromley boy who occasionally goes back for old times sake I don't want to get stung for this sort of money and I couldn't find a ULEZ/LEZ in that area.

 

[rod_vw]

Ask for the latitude and longitude of the location of the supposed offence. As @Dyddi says the zone does not exist on the A20 Sidcup bypass as far as I can see.

 

[andyinluton]

the zone does not exist on the A20 Sidcup bypass as far as I can see.

The LEZ is basically anywhere inside the M25 with the M25 itself being exempt so the location is within the area.

However your vehicle should be exempt as all vans & minibuses under 3.5 tonnes and all passenger cars are exempt.

This zone really exists to keep lorries and other big vehicles that don’t comply with euro6 out of London.

Don’t confuse the LEZ with the ULEZ which is far more onerous.

As you can see from the posts above there’s a lot of English people that enter the zone & don’t even realise. Just lucky that Uk vehicles are already on the LEZ database so they know not to send the fines.

 

[Dyddi]

Many thanks to 'andyinluton' for the clarification. Following his description of the LEZ and a search on google for 'map of LEZ around London' (as 'andy' points out it's most of the area within the M25) I also discovered where to sign in and find out if a vehicle is exempt or not:

Low Emission Zone

Drivers of heavier diesel vehicles may have to pay to drive within Greater London

tfl.gov.uk

Useful information on the TfL site also includes links to see the daily rates for the Congestion charge and the ULEZ which is due to expand 29.08.2023.
Looks as though TfL and motoring organisations in Europe could do more to publicise details for visitors. Perhaps our own AA and RAC could work with them to provide an annual online guide to LEZs being introduced, e.g. Bristol, which starts on Monday 28.11.2022 - day after tomorrow, around destinations at home and on the continent.
Meanwhile, this blog is a great starting point.

 

[Ozzy Pete]

Is any of these fines legally enforceable? Do we have reciprocal agreements with the EU. I know that speeding fines are not enforceable any longer.

 

[Dyddi]

I should have searched first ...
European LEZs can be found at:

Home

Which city can I drive into ? What do I need to drive into cities in Europe? All information on European city driving restrictions, Low Emission Zones, Congestion Charges, Vehicle Access Regulations & Traffic Restrictions

urbanaccessregulations.eu

... and the RAC have lots on Europe and UK zones:

Low Emission Zones: what you need to know | RAC Drive

As air quality becomes more important, measures are being put in place to discourage polluting vehicles from entering areas where air quality is poor.

www.rac.co.uk

Although it's dated 2020 and the LEZs are spreading like measles/covid/bird-flu or whatever.

 

[Amarillo]

This looks like a scam.
Do we have any members who live in the Sidcup area and could clarify? As a Bromley boy who occasionally goes back for old times sake I don't want to get stung for this sort of money and I couldn't find a ULEZ/LEZ in that area.

The A20 LEZ cameras are just around the corner from us. I’ve always disregarded the LEZ as I thought it only applied to HGVs. I was wrong.

We are even closer to the A20 ULEZ cameras. One set near us has netted TfL £1.1m since the ULEZ began.

I think that the ULEZ is being expanded to the LEZ boundary on 29 August 2023.

The problem TfL has is that it receives (other than during the pandemic) any cash from central government except for major capital projects such as Crossrail.

Motorists contribute nothing towards the running and maintenance of London’s road network except through the central London congestion charge, the inner London ULEZ and the all London LEZ. Fare paying tube, rail and bus passengers are subsidising motorists. It really needs to be the other way around so that the generally richer car owners subsidise travel for the generally poorer non-car owners.

Over 50% of households within the ULEZ have no car.

 

[Amarillo]

Ask for the latitude and longitude of the location of the supposed offence. As @Dyddi says the zone does not exist on the A20 Sidcup bypass as far as I can see.

The LEZ camera which photographed the OP is one of these.

Well inside the M25, and at the second junction after the M25.

 

[Amarillo]

However your vehicle should be exempt as all vans & minibuses under 3.5 tonnes and all passenger cars are exempt.

This might be the basis of the OP’s £1000 (€1200.30) fine.

===quote===

Penalty charge £2000, if paid within 14 days £1000

Vehicles not meeting Euro IV standard (PM)

More than 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight:

Lorries
Goods vehicles
Motor caravans
Motorised horseboxes
Breakdown and recovery vehicles
Snow ploughs
Gritters
Refuse collection vehicles
Road sweepers
Concrete mixers
Tippers
Fire engines
Removals lorries
Other specialist heavy vehicles

===/Quote===

Because the vehicle isn’t registered with TfL they don’t know:
- It’s under 3.5t
- It’s Euro 4 compliant.

 

[Hawthorn37]

For the near future, London mayor has announced the expansion of the ULEZ to the whole of Greater London.

 

[Lambeth Cali]

Is any of these fines legally enforceable? Do we have reciprocal agreements with the EU. I know that speeding fines are not enforceable any longer.

What do you mean by not enforceable?

If I get a ticket in France and then don’t pay it? Did you mean they can’t enforce this in the UK?

But I wouldn’t be able to go back to France without the quite real risk of getting pulled over and then them throwing the book at me, no?

 

[Amarillo]

What do you mean by not enforceable?

If I get a ticket in France and then don’t pay it? Did you mean they can’t enforce this in the UK?

But I wouldn’t be able to go back to France without the quite real risk of getting pulled over and then them throwing the book at me, no?

Exactly that. Unless you change your car.

 

[Amarillo]

I drove past today.

One warning sign and the sign above. It’s not obvious that foreign drivers need to register their vehicle.

 

[Ozzy Pete]

What do you mean by not enforceable?

If I get a ticket in France and then don’t pay it? Did you mean they can’t enforce this in the UK?

But I wouldn’t be able to go back to France without the quite real risk of getting pulled over and then them throwing the book at me, no?

They now do NOT pursue fines for speeding like they used to through the uk courts. Best thing is don’t speed when in France. If French plod stop you then no choice.

 

[andyinluton]

The french do still persue UK drivers for fines. Only thing that has changed is that DVLA don’t hand over your details like they used to. Instead sign up to Crit Air & you’ve given them all the info they need.

 

[babble]

Is any of these fines legally enforceable? Do we have reciprocal agreements with the EU. I know that speeding fines are not enforceable any longer.

i don't think the UK would pursue a fine over here (in Belgium), and i doubt they have a centralised system advanced enough to know you have an outstanding fine in the UK if you go back, but i could be wrong. At the border your number plate is checked by the ferry company for your ticket, but the passport control just check your passport, not the registration of the vehicle as far as i am aware. I guess if you are in the uk and have an accident it might come up. But then again this fine is from transport for london - I don't think they are going to do anything if you don't pay other than send another letter or two.