What & where is ULEZ & the Congestion charge zone?
ULEZ, short for Ultra Low Emission Zone, was introduced in April 2019 in an effort to improve air quality in London. Contrary to the Congestion Charge zone, ULEZ operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and every day of the year (except on Christmas Day, as we all know Santa does most of the driving in his eco-friendly sleigh on that day).
The Congestion charge zone was introduced way back in 2003. It is in effect from Monday to Sunday, 07:00-22:00. Only Christmas Day is exempt.
The zone where ULEZ fees applies is much bigger than the Congestion Charge zone, which is illustrated in the image below (Blue: ULEZ/ Red: Congestion Charge). If you aren't sure if you are picking up a car in in the area or if you will be driving through it, you can check your postcode here.
Is my car ULEZ exempt?
Typically, newer diesel cars and petrol cars are compliant. You can use the vehicle checker provided by Transport for London (TfL) to check if your car meets the ULEZ emissions standard.
What happens if a driver did not pay the ULEZ or Congestion charge during a hire?
CCTVs are in action everywhere in London, which means TfL will have scanned your licence plate if the driver was at any point within Central London. A few days later, you will receive a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN). We advise you to pay it straight away in order to avoid getting additional charges. You can do so here. You can also contact the driver to get them to pay directly for the fine, or ask them to transfer you the amount if you've paid it for them. The other option is to contact us on Live Chat and we will sort if out for you.
What is Auto Pay? How do I set it up?
If you are hiring your car frequently, we recommend you set up Auto Pay. When your car is on Auto Pay, you pay a reduced daily Congestion Charge but you also never will receive another PCN from drivers that were unaware of these fees. You can set up to 5 vehicles on Auto Pay. Drivers are on the lookout for cars with Auto Pay, which means this is also a way to get more bookings in! If a driver uses your car and drives in Central London, you can bill them after their hire. Just make sure you mention it in your car description and select the right features in your settings.