Motorists in London are receiving a ULEZ penalty notice every 19 seconds on average, according to new data from Transport for London (TfL).
A Freedom of Information (FoI) request by Fast Loan UK to TfL shows that more than 1.6 million penalty charge notices (PCNs) were issued in the capital between April 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026.
The total of 1,683,552 charges equates to around 4,612 notices per day, 192 per hour, or 3.2 per minute across the year.
PCN numbers fall despite high volume
Despite the large figures, the number of PCNs has actually fallen 13.9% from the previous financial year, when 1,956,441 ULEZ penalty notices were issued by TfL.
May 2025 saw the most PCNs, with 158,528 notices issued - equating to 5,110 fines per day - while July saw 156,030 PCNs and February recorded the lowest total at 118,626.
Challenges and air quality impact
Around 72% of the challenges made to TfL were accepted. TfL recorded 117,275 accepted representations and 45,567 rejected representations in 2025/26, with a further 754 remaining open.
Earlier this year, Sadiq Khan hailed the impact of ULEZ expansion amid claims that toxic air-related deaths fell by as much as 40%.
The Mayor of London extended the ULEZ across inner London in October 2021, and expanded it across the whole of the city in August 2023, establishing the world’s largest pollution charging zone.
A study from Imperial College London’s environmental research group estimated that premature deaths attributable to air quality in London was 3,800 to 5,100 in 2024, down from 6,400 to 8,000 in 2019. The study was commissioned by the Greater London Authority and Transport for London.
Commenting on the report at the time, Sir Sadiq said: “The evidence is now overwhelming and unarguable: the bold action we have taken in London has reduced pollution, improved public health and saved lives.”
