Transport for LondonGround two
I had paid the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) charge due for the vehicle used on that date, at the time and in the manner required by the LEZ scheme.
The Regulations define this ground as:
That the charge payable for the use or keeping of the vehicle on a road on the occasion in question was paid at the time and manner required by the LEZ scheme.
This means the LEZ charge must be paid for the actual vehicle used in the LEZ and for the actual date. You must ensure the vehicle registration mark that has been paid for matches that of the vehicle used.
If making a Representation on this ground, you need to prove that you paid the charge for the correct vehicle registration number and date (the contravention date). The easiest way to do this is to provide your receipt, which will show these details (when the charge is purchased we always offer a receipt).
If you do not have your receipt, you can still demonstrate that you paid if you used a credit or debit card. If you provide a copy of your credit or debit card statement, date of payment and the credit or debit card number we will try to trace your payment.
Please also check that both the vehicle registration mark and date of travel match those shown on the Penalty Charge Notice (PCN). If either of these details do not match then this is why you have received the PCN.
If you notice such a mistake, you can still make a Representation but it may only be accepted at our discretion.
Common errors
If you do not have a receipt or any card payment record, then you may still make a Representation but it will be very hard for you to prove the PCN was issued incorrectly, although we will of course check all our records thoroughly. Most people believe that they have paid the charge but there are a number of common errors which include:
- Paying for the incorrect vehicle registration mark. You need to pay the charge for the vehicle registration mark that is held by the DVLA and shown on your vehicle
- The number 0 (zero) is often confused with the alpha character O (Oscar) and the number 1 (one) is often confused with the alpha character I (Indigo)
- Characters are often transposed, such as switching the first three letters with the last three eg changing ABC123 to 123ABC
- Paying for the wrong date. Always double check the date you want to pay for especially if you are paying in advance
- If paying online, make sure you enter the details correctly and double check the details. People have been known to enter their car make into the data fields
- If paying via the Low Emission Zone Contact Centre, use the phonetic alphabet (ie A=Alpha, B=Bravo, C=Charlie etc). Make sure the staff member uses the phonetic alphabet and checks the make and model of the vehicle and the date of travel. Always request a receipt and make a note of the receipt number in case it should get mislaid
If you do prove that you paid the charge correctly, then we will accept your Representation.
If you have made an error, we may use our discretion but this is not guaranteed.
Remember: You need to provide proof the charge was paid.
