I think you are right but it's difficult to locate any info on what these actually were.

I wonder is there is any way of doing the emissions updates retrospectively?, the engine specs all look very similar. Perhaps they just held the sensor another foot or two away from the exhaust like VW !

P

 

Aaaargh, this ULEZ thing really makes my blood boil. Do you want to read a long rant about this and how TfL just ignore the law of the land? Follow on, dear reader...

I was nailed a couple of years ago, when it was introduced, having been working in London, completely unaware of what a bloody ULEZ was.When I did find out that it was an apparent legit charge, a couple of days later (when I was trying to pay my Congestion Charge online), I tried to pay but had missed the deadline. No way were they going to accept my payment, my PCN was in the post.

I appealed, went to a tribunal,and because my girlfriend, who is an extremely shrewd legal specialist, spotted a gaping hole in their legal position, believed I had a strong case for the charge to be dismissed (I was happy to pay their random tax, just not the inflated penalty fee for something I had no knowledge of).

Not the usual argument, that I didn't see the signs, because I must have seen them, but that the meaning of the signs isn't clear. I mean, so it's a ULEZ zone, so what? What the hell does that mean? It's also a Knife Free zone, a LBGT Friendly zone, Alcohol Free zone etc etc. Do I need to stop at every single sign and Google its relevance to me driving on the public road, for which I already pay Duty? Where was the detail telling me there were possibly fees to pay, like there are for the Congestion Charge?

Our argument had a legal precedent too, there is clear Case Law which means TfL are out of order in their punitive campaign against people who don't pay the ULEZ tax. We presented the previous Case, and the outcome - it was pretty much cut and dried. We were met with stoney silence, then a lot of spluttering, and near panic as the odious little rat in the Chair demanded to know who the lady was who was presenting my argument - as I was already fizzing and wanting to drag him across the table by his scrawny neck - ("That's me bird, mate"), and that he needed to consult further.

The hearing was adjourned, because the vermin adjudicator knew he was on dodgy ground, and they later came back dismissing my appeal. (I made the mistake of asking for the result by post, seeing as both of us were unable to afford to take another day off and head into that stinking city)
However, their grounds for dismissing it didn't have any correlation to the argument we had put forward, ie. they listened to my case, then picked another random reason to uphold the penalty, rather than refute my argument. How does that work?

So, we had them on the ropes, a little push and victory was within grasp, right?

Well, wrong.

Now I am a volatile individual (read that as "thug", according to my lovely lady), I will happily have an argument to the last breath if I believe I'm in the right, and was relishing the idea of going to London to put the criminals at TfL back into their box and stamping it flat. I'm passionate about my rights, and don't care who you are, I'll bite if you step on me. And, I was RIGHT.

However,this means that losing the case would probably mean losing my temper, and that would inevitably bring on me doing something incredibly stupid. (I'd already enquired what their extremely large ie. hugely fat, but clearly very slow, "security" guy, a dead-ringer for Idi Amin, thought he was staring at, and if he didn't look elsewhere, I'd discuss it with him outside, before being pulled back into my seat by my livid, hissing woman, and that was before the case had even started!)

I waited for TfL's next move. Would they send bailiffs to extort their tax from me? Bring it on!

This is where that lovely woman probably saved me a spell in jail, but also made me incandescent with rage - she paid the penalty quietly without my knowledge, as I polished my crossbow and prepared for battle.

Yes, she said, TfL's legal position was weaker than ours, my claim was genuine, and the reasons they used to issue the penalty were flimsy, but they have unlimited resources, lawyers a-go-go, and a huge incentive to not back down (ie. they'd have to repay the money to everyone they'd taxed + costs = MILLIONS of pounds). There was no point in going any further, she was out, and so was I. Case closed.

However, I still bear a grudge against TfL, they cheated me, and although in my lurid fantasies I'd love to go the full Ted Kaczynski on them, I'd rather see them put right in a court of law. As far as I'm concerned, TfL are a criminal organisation and one day will get their come-uppance.

Sadly, no-one really gives a hoot. My solid, sound point about TfL's arrogant implementation of this tax (and its factoring of the penalty charges it would generate as being a good thing, something it WANTS to happen to generate more lovely lolly. ie. they would be seriously gutted if everyone paid up on time, there would be a gaping hole in their income stream) still stands, but nobody cares - or at least I don't think they do.

Perhaps everybody just thinks "Ah, you can't do anything, just pay up", that Goliath will squish little David? I tend to think not, but don't have the means to pursue it any further. If you want a riot, call me. Legal BS about roadsigns...not so much.

However, with the introduction of these other tax zones, perhaps there is scope for the little people to fight back.

For all other rules of the road, we all know what they are, from Land's End to John o' Groats, the signs are STANDARD. These little tax zones are whatever some pencil pushing cretin in each city decides - ULEZ, CAZ, LPZ, whatever. Surely there has to be existing protections stopping local authorities imposing extra fees on the public highways of this country? I know that the M6 toll road will cost me to use, so I avoid it. I can't avoid a zone if I live there, can I? You have to really do your homework if you don't want to get swived by some random extra pay zone you might stray into.

And there's my original argument against TfL. It still stands, is still relevant, and they are still getting away with doing what the hell they think, because, well, just because...

Oh, TfL sniffily told me they spent £7 million advertising the ULEZ zone on local radio, so I HAD to have known about it. Wrong. A. If I'd known about it, I'd have paid and B. they didn't advertise it on the radio up in Warwickshire! Perhaps we should impose a charge on tossers from London driving through our county, we will put it on Coventry radio, then put up a sign saying "NCT zone" (No Cockney T***s) and get the DVLA to send PCNs to any car registered in London. Yeah! Ker-ching! Would that be legal and legit?

Oooh, I'm going for a lie-down, these idiots who dream these schemes up make me soooo mad. If they want to cut pollution and emissions, they should go home and smother their families, cut their own testes off, and jump off a cliff. Just a suggestion.

 

I'm completley with you MrGrey. I live in the damn ULEZ zone, so if my elderly mother wants to drive the 0minutes down the road to see me Kahn get's £12.50 for the pleasure.

As for which cars pass the tfl ULEZ checker - I have come to the conlcusion that the tfl website is wrong. The regulation is the car must be Euro 4 compliant, which only came about around 2004. The tfl website is simply not up to date or reliable - try using a different ULEZ checker webiste (one that shows the cars Euro standard) and it will often say it is not compliant. So you could end up buying a car, think it's ok according to tfl, then a week late be wacked with a fine you can't do anything about.

 

According to ulez checker , my x reg S type isn't compliant. I contacted jaguar and got a COC and NOx value says 0.06 .
I belive to comply with UKEZ this needs to be under 0.08, which it obviously is, guessing this means car is compliant?? . Anyone else done this and appealed? TIA

 

I recently encountered a similar issue with the ULEZ checker. I drive a 2021 Volkswagen Transporter, and when I entered my registration, it incorrectly showed as non-compliant. According to my V5C, it meets Euro 6 standards. Frustrated, I contacted Transport for London (TfL) and provided them with all necessary documentation. After a bit of back and forth, they updated their records and my vehicle is now recognized as compliant. It seems the database sometimes has outdated information. If you're facing this, definitely reach out to TfL for assistance.

 

ULEZ charges are a bold step towards combating urban pollution. Initially, I was skeptical about the cost implications for drivers, but the environmental benefits are undeniable. Cleaner air means healthier lives, and that’s a priority. The charges incentivize upgrading to eco-friendlier vehicles, which is a long-term investment for our planet. While it’s a financial pinch, the positive impact on public health and the environment outweighs the cons.

 

Absolutely agree! ULEZ is a great step towards cleaner air, even if it costs drivers a bit more. Our health depends on clean air, and these charges push us towards greener cars, which is a win for the planet in the long run. Sure, it stings the wallet, but the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.