Transport for London (TfL) once again finds itself in hot water over its management of penalty charge notices (PCNs). A writer, who has repeatedly highlighted TfL’s lapses in electronic payment collection, recently received a letter from the agency stating that no payment had been received for a PCN. This issue arose after the writer's son used their car and received two PCNs. Despite submitting proof of payment, the writer encountered numerous hurdles in resolving the matter with TfL.
The ordeal began when the writer's son received two PCNs after using the writer's vehicle. The son had made a £160 payment, confirmed by his bank, yet 41 days later, it still showed as pending. In response to this, the writer provided TfL with proof of payment, including a payment authorization code and a supporting letter. Despite these efforts, TfL sent a reply demanding card details by post within 14 days. The letter from TfL arrived just three days before this deadline, leaving insufficient time for the writer to respond.
“We’re very sorry for any distress caused by our handling of these penalty charge notices. We want to make sure all drivers are treated fairly and, following a review of this case, it’s clear that we should have accepted the evidence that he had attempted to make payment.” – A TfL spokesperson
Following intervention from a national newspaper, TfL was finally instructed to drop the case after it accepted the submitted proof of payment. The same evidence that the writer initially provided was now deemed satisfactory by TfL. This inconsistency in handling the situation has added to the writer's growing frustration with TfL.
The situation reflects a broader concern over TfL's penalty system, which has previously been criticized for not effectively collecting electronic payments. The writer expressed significant dissatisfaction with how their case was managed, pointing out the repeated need to bring such issues to light.