What the heck is a congestion charge and should I pay it?

Oh dear, you've upset Boris Johnson !

The congestion charge is a £10 per day fee levied on users of a certain area of inner London by motor vehicles - there are some exceptions such as buses, taxis, pushbikes, cars below a certain amount of CO2 emission level. But basically, if you are in this area, Monday-Friday within a certain time bracket, you have to pay the fee. It's ages since I have been in to London by car myself (I avoid the place like the plague to be honest) so I couldn't say what all the different methods of payment are these days but certainly there is a number to call within 24 hours of entering the zone to submit your payment by card. It is enforced by static and mobile ANPR cameras - they read your registration and, if you have not paid within 24 hours, send a demand to the registered keeper of the vehicle.

To be fair, there are plenty of signs telling you that you are approaching it and then, when you get to its border there is some large signage plus a big red line across the road so it's not as if they are trying to get you by stealth. That said, if you didn't know it existed, I can easily imagine how you might end up in your situation.

So I guess the car rental company have already debited your card by £30 so there's no avoiding that. As to the £65 penalty, my suggestion is that whilst it might stick in your throat, you should pay it. For one, the longer you leave it, the more the charge will increase so deal with it quickly. For two, I'm not sure if avoiding paying is a criminal matter or a civil matter in how it is dealt with. I suspect it is criminal and would be enforced much like if you had been caught speeding. If you don't pay, they will probably put a flag on your passport and, if you ever come to the UK again, you may find yourself being arrested at Border Control ! On the other hand, maybe they will just forget about it - who knows.

Sorry you had this experience here, if you need more precise information then have a look here : Congestion Charge (Official) - Transport for London

Arron.

 

Interesting point here from Avis saying they will provide a permit for the first day in London, were you offered this?
Avis car rental & the London congestion charge. | We Try Harder - the Avis UK blog

 

The congestion charge is a civil offence; you basically owe London money. Non-payment will see the fine increase, and probably passed onto bailiffs. Whether they can really take any action to recover the money from you in the US I don't know, but as they have your address they can try. I doubt you would get flagged and stopped at passport control. This provides an overview

 

Fair enough, it's a civil matter then - I wasn't sure and it was early when I replied !

 

Just like US tickets, I pay those so I can get in each time without issue, I would pay the fine for the congestion charge

However, I would write to them explaining the situation, you may find (if you are lucky) that the ticket gets cancelled and monies refunded once they are aware. Point out it ruined your holiday memories, and it's your first time abroad etc etc, by paying up you've done your bit and played fair, they may play fair with you.

Unfortunately, I've had tickets in the US for parking on the side of roads which I never understood at all, but I just pay them and accept i have a lack of knowledge, and am just glad I didn't get arrested. Got an $80 ticket for parking up behind a cop once, only so I could ask him directions back to my hotel as I was lost in Orlando and had spent fifteen minutes in the rougher part, and saw him parked outside a club. Pulled up, approached him and said hi, he gave me a ticket while he gave directions! Even got annoyed when I asked him how and where to pay it, as if was there only for a couple days before tripping around Florida for a month, and it was my first ever trip to the US and first ever ticket. It was even the first time I'd driven an automatic transmission, I was so green back then (1994 I think)