Merc fan’s London LEZ shock
Camper van conversion inadvertently falls foul of the low emissions zone
Classic cars may be exempt from London’s Ultra Low Emissions Zone – but if your historic vehicle tastes extended to commercial vehicles, check before entering the capital.
Mercedes fan, James Nethercoat, who owns a 508D camper, got a shock when he and partner Neola drove through London’s Low Emissions Zone (LEZ).
Having toured Europe extensively in the camper-converted former van, they returned to the UK in September for a wedding – only to inadvertently stray into the LEZ.
Converted motor caravans are subject to a £200-a-day LEZ charge. Often confused with TfL’s Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) for cars (and its 2021 expansion to the edge of the North and South Circulars), the LEZ is for diesel-engined commercial goods vehicles only. It has to be paid no later than the midnight after driving in the LEZ; James and Neola, unaware of the rules, headed out of the UK in the 508D shortly after – and began racking up arrears on top of the original bill. James, who could have been faced with a £1500 fine, said: ‘There are a lot of classic car people who also run historic commercial vehicles
– or tow their classics through London with something similar. It’s easy to get caught out. ‘We’re not from London and had no idea how the LEZ worked, or knew we’d even driven through it.’ Luckily for James and Neola, TfL was sympathetic to their plight and dropped the late payment charges. Paul Cowperthwaite, General Manager of Road User Charging at
TfL, said: ‘We’re in the process of cancelling Mr Nethercoat’s penalty charge notice, as it is clear that he is willing to pay the original charge but made a genuine mistake of not knowing payment is required within 24 hours.
‘We recommend that drivers check our website before travelling to ensure that they are not accidently charged.’