• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

MayorWatch

London News and Comment

  • NEWS

Johnson: We’re still chasing US Embassy for unpaid C-charge

September 16, 2009 by Martin Hoscik

c-charge_logoDenying recent press reports, Boris Johnson says Transport for London continues to chase embassies who are withholding Congestion Charge fees and penlaties.

In answers to questions from Liberal Democrat Assembly Member Caroline Pidgeon, the Mayor said a recent report in the Telegraph claiming TfL had “decided in February to abandon any more attempts to force the foreign embassies to pay” was “inaccurrate”.

Johnson told Pidgeon his office “will continue to press” those who refuse to pay in conjunction with TfL and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

The Mayor said journalists enquiring about the subject had been told: “In respect of sending statements to the missions; the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) issues formal letters to each foreign mission detailing all outstanding Penalty Charges owed by that mission, including Congestion Charge penalties. Although TfL has in the past issued letters to embassies detailing Congestion Charge penalties specifically, these letters essentially duplicated the FCO’s, and in fact led to some confusion amongst the missions. In light of this, in February 2009 TfL took the decision to stop sending statements. The FCO directs all embassies to TfL should they receive any enquiries subsequent to their letters.”

The US Embassy is the largest debtor with more than £3.5m of outstanding Congestion Charge fines.

Although the embassy initially paid the charge, this policy was reversed following the appointment Robert Tuttle as US Ambassador in 2005. A spokesman for the newly arrived US Ambassador Louis Susman has confirmed the Embassy intends to continue flouting the charge.

In a separate answer Johnson said the UK Government agreed with TfL “that the Congestion Charge is a charge for a service, and not a tax, which means that diplomats are not exempt from payment.”

  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email

Filed Under: News Tagged With: Road pricing

RECENT UPDATES

Tube and rail users to benefit from Oyster weekly fares cap

Mayor and TfL call on ministers to help plug funding gap

Tube to get full mobile phone coverage from 2024

TfL says Direct Vision Standard is already making HGVs safer for London road users




POPULAR

City Hall to move to Docklands as Mayor seeks to raise £55m for frontline services

‘Concern’ over TfL’s ability to deliver major projects in wake of Crossrail cost overruns

City Hall halts London Overground ticket office closures but many will still see opening hours reduced

Transport for London confirms bus cuts will go ahead despite passenger opposition

Copyright © 2025 · Terms of Use · Privacy Policy