Foreign diplomats owe UK more than £116,000,000 in unpaid congestion charge fees

The USA now has over 100,000 outstanding fines for driving in central London.

Foreign governments have more than a million outstanding congestion charge fees, totalling almost £116.5 million.

There are 145 embassies and commissions refusing to cough up money that the UK government has said they are legally obliged to.

Campaigners claim there is a ‘moral duty’ to pay when cash-strapped motorists are having to fork out for fees designed to improve air quality in the capital.

Transport for London (TfL) now want the Foreign Office to take the matter to the International Court of Justice in order to recoup the cash.

New figures shown to Metro.co.uk reveal that the American embassy now owes almost £12.5 million.

Donald Trump’s diplomats have more than 100,000 outstanding fines for driving within central London.

The embassy of Japan owes almost £8.5 million, followed by the Nigerian High Commission with £7 million and the Indian High Commission with £6 million.

In total there are now over one million unpaid fines by diplomats who have shirked their responsibility since the fee was introduced in 2003.

Chair of the London Assembly’s Environment Committee, Caroline Russell, said: ‘It’s completely outrageous because those fees are there for a purpose.

‘They are there to make sure our streets are not overcrowded or our traffic choked and so that people can breathe cleaner air.

‘What the embassies are doing is downright rude.

‘They are supposed to be all about good relations between countries but they are ignoring something that is there for the greater good.

‘There is a moral obligation for them to pay.’

The congestion charge is a £11.50 fee for driving a vehicle in central London between 7am and 6pm.

It was introduced in 2003 and many embassies have always refused to pay.

They claim it is a tax and therefore, under the 1961 Vienna Convention, diplomats are exempt from paying.

Last month, London Mayor Sadiq Khan introduced the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in central London.

Motorists whose vehicles don’t meet emissions standards must pay £12.50 per day.

Embassies are immune to paying ULEZ fees but both the Foreign Office and Transport for London say they must pay the congestion charge.

Figures released by Transport for London show that by the end of 2018, the bill had spiralled to an eye-watering £116,474,265.

Taxpayer groups are livid at the double-standard that means motorists have to pay while diplomats do not.

John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance said: ‘Most Londoners will expect diplomatic staff to suffer like the rest of us and pay the charge.’

TfL said that three-quarters of embassies do pay the charge but there is a ‘stubborn minority’ who refuse to do so.

They have written to the Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt demanding action.

Paul Cowperthwaite, TfL’s general manager for road user charging, said: ‘We are clear that the congestion charge is a charge for a service and not a tax.

‘That means that foreign diplomats are not exempt from paying it.

‘We continue to pursue all unpaid congestion charge fees and related penalty charge notices.

‘We have written to the Foreign Secretary to ask him to take up the matter with the relevant embassies and the International Court of Justice.’

Some embassies refused to pay from the outset and many were emboldened when the US declared in 2005 that it would no longer stump up the cash.

Debts have swelled because TfL has added on charges for non-payment.

The Foreign Office did not comment on potential legal action but said they continued to press diplomatic missions to pay congestion charge debts.