The Ombudsman's final decision
Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about two penalty charge notices issued by Transport for London. This is because Transport for London has agreed to accept payment at the rate of £12.50 per case and it is unlikely we could achieve anything more for Ms X.
The complaint
The complainant, Ms X, complains Transport for London (TfL) issued her two penalty charge notices (PCNs) for driving in the ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ) without paying the charge. She says she tried to pay the charge online but TfL’s website crashed. She wants TfL to cancel the PCNs and allow her to pay the original ULEZ charge instead.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse effect on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We do not start an investigation if we decide the tests set out in our Assessment Code are not met. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended)
How I considered this complaint
I considered information provided by Ms X and TfL.
I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
Final decision
We will not investigate this complaint. This is because TfL agreed to put the cases on hold and to allow Ms X to pay the fines at the original ULEZ charge of £12.50, as she had requested. This is a suitable outcome for the complaint and it is unlikely we could achieve anything more for her.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman