ULEZ London: fines illegal?!
A long-distance driver received an exorbitant fine for failing to pre-register for access to the London environmental zone. Now he is fighting the fine and forming a class action lawsuit against the British capital.
Several hundred people who have been traveling in the British capital for leisure or business in recent months have received expensive fines for violating the "Ultra Low Emission Zone" (ULEZ). According to the authorities, their vehicles have complied with the prescribed emission standards, but another important detail was overlooked. your offense? The registration with the city required for access to the ULEZ was missing. Now some of those affected from France have joined forces in a class action lawsuit to fight for the cancellation of their fines.
It all started with a self-employed long-distance driver from Pas-de-Calais who regularly makes company trips across the English Channel. He traveled back and forth between the metropolis and northern France with his truck, which was known to comply with the legal emission limits - until he received a letter from a collection agency on behalf of the city's transport authority. Within just two weeks, he had received 333 fines totaling 205,000 euros in fines. The driver wants to take legal action against this. Because the fine procedure used by the authorities could turn out to be illegal. His lawyer complains, among other things, that his client was not properly informed after the first offences. In addition, there are alleged data protection violations against the driver, since data exchange between Great Britain and the EU is illegal.
Since then, many other drivers who have also been fined have joined the trucker in a class action lawsuit. This is based primarily on the potential abuse of the data protection rights of those affected - which could now declare the fine null and void. Not only did British officials forget to send out an initial fine and warning letters, but all fines were sent directly to the homes of the offenders, the lawsuit says. The fact that identity data can no longer be exchanged between the United Kingdom and the European Union since Brexit represents a significant breach of data protection law.
A breach that could save many drivers' wallets - while raising doubts about the clarity and effectiveness of London's ULEZ regulations. Are these enforceable for the authorities who are supposed to ensure respect for the environmental zone rules? Are they clear enough for those behind the wheel? The outcome of the class action lawsuit will provide the answer. Until then, the current regulations will remain in place: In order to drive into London's "Ultra Low Emission Zone", registration is required in advance, as is the case for the London LEZ. In addition, there is a so-called ULEZ or LEZ fee for the entry of some vehicles.
Of course, it's not easy to keep up with all the regulations in force - in London as well as in the rest of Europe. Not to be forgotten are all the active environmental zones and diesel driving bans that regulate traffic in many countries in terms of environmental protection. As always, all information about this is available on our website and in the Green-Zones app.