Transport Secretary Mark Harper has urged London Mayor Sadiq Khan to provide drivers with a grace period before imposing fines for the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) breaches.
The appeal follows a chaotic first day of the ULEZ expansion, marred by technical glitches on the compliance-checking website.
Mr Harper argued that it was “unreasonable” to subject drivers to fines on the inaugural day of the extended scheme, considering the website’s malfunction.
The ULEZ expansion, which aims to curb air pollution by enforcing stricter emission standards, encountered setbacks as the online tool for verifying vehicle compliance crashed repeatedly.
As part of the ULEZ scheme, vehicles such as cars, vans, motorcycles, motor tricycles and mopeds weighing up to 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight are subject to penalties.
The penalty charge stands at £180, which is reduced to £90 if paid within 14 days.
Energy Live News has approached the Mayor’s office and TfL for a response.
