The Ombudsman's final decision
Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about a penalty charge notice issued by Transport for London. This is because Transport for London has cancelled the penalty charge notice and refunded Mr X's payment, and it is unlikely investigation would achieve anything more.
The complaint
The complainant, Mr X, complains about a penalty charge notice (PCN) issued by Transport for London (TfL) for entering the ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ) without paying the charge. He says he wrote to TfL about the PCN but did not receive a response.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’. In this statement, I have used the word ‘fault’ to refer to these. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We may decide not to start or continue with an investigation if we are satisfied with the actions an organisation has taken or proposes to take. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(7), as amended)
How I considered this complaint
I considered information provided by Mr X and the Authority.
I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
In response to Mr X’s complaint TfL has agreed to cancel the PCN and refund Mr X’s payment. It confirms it processed this refund on 3 August 2022.
TfL’s actions provide a suitable remedy for the complaint and it is unlikely investigation would achieve anything more for Mr X.
Final decision
We will not investigate this complaint. This is because TfL has provided a suitable remedy for the complaint.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman