A legal dispute has been initiated by Dutch lorry drivers against Transport for London (TfL) over allegations of unjust fines totalling £6.5 million. Claims of drivers experiencing distress and having to sell their trucks due to the charges have led to this legal challenge.
Transport in Nood BV, a company responsible for managing fines for Dutch travel firms, has brought this issue to the High Court after their clients received over 10,000 fines from TfL through the Euro Parking Collection (EPC), the debt collection agency.
The British law firm Smith, Bowyer and Clarke, representing Transport in Nood BV, asserts that many drivers were hit with multiple fines simultaneously, making it difficult for them to adjust their behaviour to avoid further penalties. There are also complaints of the EPC using an unfavourable exchange rate to issue fines in euros instead of pounds.
The Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) was implemented in London in April 2019, imposing a daily charge of £12.50 on non-compliant vehicles. Failure to pay incurs a £180 penalty. In addition, a low emission zone for heavy goods vehicles imposes fines of up to £3,000 on companies that do not pay the fee.
Several individuals and companies in the European Union have expressed concerns about the lack of clear advertisement for these zones in the past. Antonio Oliveira, the owner of Transport in Nood BV, has emphasized the unfair impact of these charges on drivers and the need for repayment of millions of pounds.
Oliveira cited the case of a lorry driver receiving close to 400 fines amounting to nearly £350,000 for transporting flowers to London. This legal action marks the first challenge against TfL and the EPC on behalf of foreign lorry drivers.
In response to the legal claim from the Netherlands, TfL stated, “We have received a claim relating to penalty charge notices from claimants based in the Netherlands and are considering our response.”
As this legal dispute unfolds, it underscores the necessity of equitable treatment and transparency in the implementation of regulations affecting drivers and transportation companies. The outcome of this case will be monitored closely by lorry drivers and transport firms across Europe.
