1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162 
• The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) has
Page 13
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
slammed Transport for London's (Ill) decision not to allow leasing companies to transfer liability for congestion charging fines to their customers.
John Lewis, BVRLA director general, says that Tfl and the Department of Transport had agreed over the past two years that, in line with all similar legislation, leasing companies would have the right to transfer liability for fines to their customers. However, he says leasing companies will now be forced to pay the fine before recouping the charge from their customers.
"We want to re-establish the situation and have congestion charging fines once more mcognised in the same way as parking fines. The mix-up by TfL does not, however, give drivers carte blanche to ignore congestion charges.
"Most leasing companies have written into their contracts a clause that allows them not only to pass on all fixed-penalty notices but to make administrative charges as well. Customers could find themselves facing huge bills if their drivers don't pay the congestion charge. If Tfl, had simply allowed leasing companies to transfer liability, these increased costs on customers would not be necessary."
Michael Nunn, contract hire director for Lex Transfleet, is also disappointed at the ruling: "It will add considerable administration costs, which will have to be passed onto the customers. It will also make it more difficult for a customer to contest the penalty if it has already been paid."
Rental vehicles are not generally affected by this ruling as the agreements under which they are hired are usually for less than six months and are therefore outside the scope of Tfl:s ruling.