While agreeing in principle with…
While agreeing in principle with policies to reduce pollution from vehicles, the implementation should be transparent, fair and easy to access and understand for all of those who may potentially be charged. This is not the case for London's implementation of ULEZ. I have seen some unsympathetic comments from those who know about ULEZ and what to do, but they reflect only part of the potentially affected population, which includes overseas visitors. Also there is an implicit assumption in the implementation that you need a smartphone and have the wherewithal to negotiate various sites and instructions - and don't mind the invasion of data privacy for information that you give Transport for London. There is room for improvement on 1: road signage; 2: directing road users to help, eg a helpline manned by a person; 3: an understanding that ULEZ may not be familiar to some visitors, especially those from overseas; 4: visitors may need more than 2 days to work out what to do, register, compliance, set up account etc.,;5: pay per 24 hour period from entering the zone; 6: seek to help people rather than fine them for inadvertent non-compliance.
There are worse implementations, just try Oxford, and work out where and when the zones begin and end, and you can't get your payment back if you didn't need to pay it.
In Austria, you need to buy a limited period licence to drive on some of the motorways, but there is almost no signage about that requirement.
Back to ULEZ, if you are pursued for a debt, it is a civil debt, which is increased in multiples. Well, whilst some disincentives may be needed to 'encourage' driver compliance, do we want compliance enforced by debt collectors and bailiffs?
I notice that ULEZ has not responded to Trust pilot reviews and may not even read them, unlike a number of other organisations that are concerned to improve their ways of working. How then, and if at all, do the ULEZ administrators improve their system and take into account users' comments? There is a hint of arrogance in such a non-response.







