A warning to others.
I took a load to Kent in August with a drop in Sidcup. The drop was just inside the LEZ, my truck is a 2006 but a euro3 but as I had not been near London before in it I thought I would just get the 28 day warning letter if seen on camera.
I was seen and received a letter demanding £500. There was no warning as the previous owner of this truck got the warning letter in 2012. TFL tell me a warning will be sent once regardless of who owns the vehicle.
I have appealed the fine but it was rejected so now have paid up.
This hardly seems fare to me, a very expensive mistake. But a warning to others please beware.
I understand your frustrations but at the end of the day you took a non compliant vechile inside the lez the silly thing about the lez is you can deliver a load 1meter from the zone in a euro 1 lorry pumping out loads of population with the wind blowing in the direction of the zone what I think is crazy is a lot of perfectly reliable trucks have now gone for export or even been scrapped because there not compliant how is Tht good for poultion
The only saving grace is the 500 quid fine is tax deductable
monarch of the highway:
I understand your frustrations but at the end of the day you took a non compliant vechile inside the lez the silly thing about the lez is you can deliver a load 1meter from the zone in a euro 1 lorry pumping out loads of population with the wind blowing in the direction of the zone what I think is crazy is a lot of perfectly reliable trucks have now gone for export or even been scrapped because there not compliant how is Tht good for poultion
The only saving grace is the 500 quid fine is tax deductable
You are right I was taking a chance that didn’t pay off.
I posted this as a warning to others not to do the same
I don’t know if this helps but I read about people appealing this automatic fines. The first appeal is ALWAYS rejected as it is processed by a computer, no one actually looks at the situation and assesses the evidence for fairness. It is not until you re-appeal again for a second time (if you can that is) that a human gets to see it and thus make a decision! Hope this helps,
so how long from accidently wandering into the zone before you get the warning letter? this is 100% the first and only time this truck has been anywhere near London
Harry Monk:
I’d have to say that in my opinion, the amount of the fine is totally disproportionate to the severity of the crime.
The way i read it though is this is the second time that vehicle has gone into the LEZ , its just unfortunate the present owner didnt know the previous owner had already been warned for it
chaversdad:
so how long from accidently wandering into the zone before you get the warning letter? this is 100% the first and only time this truck has been anywhere near London
I know from previous trucks that the first time you enter the zone a warning letter is issued that allows a further 28 days to go inside the zone. After that time the truck must be compliant or stay away.
My mistake was complacency in expecting the warning letter if seen and using that as my ( get out of jail card )
If I appealed again it would go to court and I would incur the costs.
The fine increases to £1000 if not paid within the first 14 days and by £7 per day thereafter until paid.
ranger:
I know from previous trucks that the first time you enter the zone a warning letter is issued that allows a further 28 days to go inside the zone
this is the bit i cant get my head round, if you have gone in once and had a warning letter why would you want to knowingly go back in within 28 days?
I unwittingly wandered into it on the 1st of September but havent had any sort of letter yet, is there still time or can i count myself lucky?
I had to go in to Croydon the other week and ended up going in a compliant hire truck. None of mine have had a warning but I just don’t trust relying on getting the warning it seems too easy for them to just say the zone’s been going long enough we’ve stopped the warnings.
Also if you don’t get a warning it’s difficult to complain you thought you’d only get a warning as it implies you were fully aware of the zone.
They say you have to register even if compliant… and could be fined for not registering (though as usual, a warning should be sent out first). Being compliant is not enough (according to TfL). We registered, just in case
I was just going to plead ignorant as it wasnt until the next day i even realised i went into it, i havent been inside the M25 for at least 6 years so i really didnt know about the Lez, the only thing i checked was the congestion charge
Try appealing it. About 3? months after the LEZ came in, one of our older trucks was diverted off the M25 due to an accident and took the short cut through an LEZ area rather than stay outside the M25. We basically grovelled, explained the situation and promised never ever to do it again and they cancelled the fine.
I don’t see how TfL can reject an appeal on the basis that they sent a warning letter to someone else. This must be an infringement of your 'Uman Rights!
Unless of course you have tried this on in another vehicle and already had a warning letter sent to your address.
My advice with TFL would be if you’ve strayed into the congestion charge or LEZ for whatever reason - just pay online by midnight 9/10 it’ll probably end up being the cheapest course of action.
Don’t know if it’s possible, if you think you might have gone in accidentally to phone them and check before the midnight deadline?
this is 100% the first and only time this truck has been anywhere near London