Sadiq Khan humiliated as drivers stick leaves on plates to dodge £12.50 fee
Drivers have been advised against sticking a seasonal foliage onto their number plates in a bid to dodge the charge as they could face a £1,000 fine.
Motorists in London have been advised to avoid following a common social media trend that claims to help drivers avoid ULEZ fees.
As the UK plunges into the colder, darker driving conditions of autumn, some drivers are sticking fallen leaves onto their number plates to avoid getting picked up by ANPR cameras.
However, posting to the social media platform X Surrey RoadSafe has previously stated that the practice could lead to expensive fines.
They explained: "There are times when camouflage is needed and can look good.
"Leaves attached to your number plate with double-sided tape is neither."
Surrey RoadSafe - a police and council partnership - added that they convicted drivers who had hoped that adding a leaf to their plate can help them get away with a number of motoring offences.
In October 2023, they caught one motorist who attached a leaf to the end of the plates on their Toyota Corolla in a bid to avoid speeding fines whilst travelling along the A3.
However, whilst the driver was unable to get picked up by ANPR cameras, they were still spotted by a police officer.
Whilst the illegal practice has been used in an attempt to dodge a number of laws, a number of drivers have stated that they have added a leaf to their plates to steer clear of ULEZ fees.
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Currently rolled out across the Greater London area, in addition to a number of other city centres, these zones deter drivers from using older, more polluting vehicles by charging them a £12.50 daily fee.
However, whilst drivers may think they are able to save a small fortune by attaching the seasonal item to their vehicle, they could easily come out worse off.
In most cases, motorists who fail to clean or purposefully obscure their number plates will receive an on the spot fine of £100.
However, in extreme cases, this figure can increase to £1,000 if the case goes to court, with penalty points leading to drivers also facing high insurance prices.
Drivers can also be charged the same fee if they are using an incorrect set of number plates to disguise their vehicle.
