London Mayor Sadiq Khan has seized more than 1,400 vehicles from drivers who persistently evaded the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) charge, according to new data from Transport for London (TfL). The crackdown, which took place between August 2023 and July 2024, has recouped over £700,000 through the auction of seized cars.
TfL confirmed that 1,429 vehicles were removed from the road, with 761 of these sold at auction, generating £710,147 in revenue. The authority warned that bailiffs could visit addresses to recover money owed if registered keepers ignore warrants.
Alex Williams, TfL's Chief Customer and Strategy Officer, stressed that around 96% of vehicles driving inside the ULEZ zone are now compliant. However, he cautioned that those issued penalties for breaking the rules could quickly see their punishment escalated if they continued to ignore notices.
“We want to send a clear message to vehicle owners that if you receive a penalty charge for driving in the zone, you should not ignore it,” Williams said. “Your penalty will progress to enforcement agents to recover the fines that you owe, and there is a risk that your vehicle and other items of property will be removed.”
TfL is tripling the number of people in its investigations team to boost enforcement action. The authority emphasised that only those who “persistently evade” penalty charge notices are at risk of having their car taken away, and urged anyone facing financial difficulties to engage with staff to set up debt payment plans.
