A camera erected to enforce London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in Harrow, north-west London, had to be deactivated after wrongly penalising over 900 motorists, according to authorities.
Transport for London (TfL) publicly apologised, confirming that affected drivers have been refunded. The incident prompted TfL to reposition the camera, located at the Old Redding junction towards Common Road, while ensuring all boundary cameras were correctly placed.
This comes after Harrow Council urgently requested TfL to investigate erroneous fines issued to drivers who hadn’t entered the ULEZ zone.
Mayor Sadiq Khan’s implementation of TfL enforcement vans, equipped with automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology to deter non-compliant vehicles, has also raised concerns.
A Disaster for People
Meanwhile, Harrow Council leadership criticised the ULEZ implementation during a recent council meeting, describing it as a “disaster for people.”At the meeting, Marilyn Ashton, the deputy leader of Harrow council, said: “We in Harrow have one particular borough, Hertfordshire, which abuts the northern boundary. Most of it is in Stanmore ward, some of it just goes into Harrow Weald, and there are severe difficulties.
“People have been photographed, unfortunately, driving along Old Redding and turning left into Common Road. A lady was telling me she had been fined and she couldn’t understand why because she was driving on a non-ULEZ road.”
A TfL spokesperson said: “We apologise for this error. Unfortunately this camera was incorrectly positioned.
“It was switched off once we were informed of the error and has been repositioned. We have refunded any charges that were wrongly issued.”
Speaking to The Epoch Times, Howard Cox, founder of FairFuel UK and Reform UK candidate for London mayor, said: “What Harrow shows is not only the incompetence of TfL’s planning installation team but also how rushed to get the ULEZ expansion in place by August 29.
“It begs a question as to how many other cameras are sighted in wrong positions. It seems grabbing ULEZ fees remains the priority for Sadiq Khan’s dishonest regime.”
‘Blade Runners’ Ramp Up Activity
This comes as it was revealed that numerous ULEZ cameras have been damaged or stolen in the past six months. London’s Metropolitan (Met) Police reported on Tuesday that 200 cameras were stolen and 595 were vandalised since April.In response to threats faced by ULEZ wardens, TfL has granted permission for them to wear balaclavas. Wardens have encountered clashes with individuals opposing the scheme, including the so-called Blade Runners.
The situation underscores the challenges faced by ULEZ implementation, sparking public debate and calls for greater accountability in its enforcement methods.
Mr. Cox told The Epoch Times: “The frustration of drivers has reached a peak of rebellion that, just like Chris Packham who advocates Just Stop Oil to break the law with their protests, many have similar sympathy for the BladeRunners, destroying ULEZ Cameras.”
He added: “I don’t condone breaking the law, but I share their seething injustice to the ULEZ expansion that was introduced against all majority wishes, and tensions are growing and indeed running rife.”
TfL said: “Vandalism on our network is unacceptable and all incidents are reported to the police for investigation.
“Criminal damage to ULEZ cameras puts the perpetrators at risk of prosecution and life-changing injuries, while simultaneously risking the safety of the public.
“Camera vandalism will not stop the ULEZ operating London-wide.”
