Congestion Charge Inquiry
Hello fellow Londoners,
I drove into London last weekend (22nd and 23rd March) and was there from around 5pm Saturday until 5pm Sunday. From what I’ve gathered, I should be charged for both days according to previous posts.
However, I encountered some issues with my account, possibly linked to my late father’s account, which was associated with the same car and had a Blue Badge discount. I honestly didn’t know that we needed to separately close the TfL Congestion Charge account. We used the Tell Us Once service and returned the Blue Badge to the council, so I thought everything was resolved.
Despite the hiccups, I successfully signed up (again) and paid for Sunday, keeping all the necessary screenshots. Unfortunately, since Saturday was over 72 hours ago at that point, I couldn’t pay for it.
I’ve also set up Auto Pay in hopes that it will cover the unpaid charges from Saturday by the end of the month. Does anyone know if that will work?
If it doesn’t, what happens next? I noticed there’s a £90 fine if paid promptly, but do we also incur points on our driving license?
Thanks for your help!
Hi there,
I’m sorry to hear about your dad and the confusion with the Congestion Charge account. It can definitely be tricky to navigate these situations, especially after losing a loved one.
Regarding your question about the Auto Pay catching the unpaid dues from Saturday, it’s important to note that Auto Pay should automatically cover your charges going forward, but it typically won’t retroactively pay for any outstanding days unless you manually address them. Since Saturday was more than 72 hours ago when you tried to pay, it’s likely that the system won’t allow Auto Pay to cover that day.
If you don’t pay the charge for Saturday, you may receive a penalty charge notice (PCN). As for the fine, you’re correct that the fine is £90 if paid promptly, but it can be reduced if settled early. Generally, a Congestion Charge violation does not lead to points on your driving license, but you’d still want to ensure that you address it to avoid further complications.
I recommend contacting TFL’s customer service directly to explain your situation. They might be able to provide specific guidance or assistance based on your circumstances. Good luck!