Sadiq Khan has been accused of treating EU drivers “like cash cows”, after European governments accused Transport for London (TfL) of wrongly sending out tons of of 1000’s of Ulez fines.
Five EU nations have accused Transport for London (TfL) of illegally acquiring the names and addresses of their residents visiting the British capital to challenge greater than 320,000 penalties.
The penalty notices first began being sent out in 2021, when Sadiq Khan’s Clear Air scheme was first launched, and a few complete as excessive as 1000’s of euros.
Conservative Mayoral candidate for London Susan Hall demanded an pressing investigation, including that it’s “telling that even Sadiq Khan’s friends in the EU are saying he can’t treat drivers like cash cows.”
Sadiq Khan has been accused of treating EU drivers “like cash cows”
PA
She informed GB News: “These are extremely severe allegations that have to be investigated urgently. There might be completely no justification for illegally acquiring folks’s personal data to implement Sadiq Khan’s unfair ULEZ enlargement.
“It is telling that even Sadiq Khan’s mates within the EU are saying he cannot deal with drivers like money cows.
“As Mayor, I will scrap his Ulez expansion on day one and ensure these allegations are looked into.”
This got here after Belgian MP Michael Freilich accused TfL of utilizing European drivers as a “cash cow”.
He added: “This is probably one of many largest privateness and knowledge breaches in EU historical past, however to this point no concrete motion has been taken whereas obligations are being shunted on to drivers.”
Since Brexit, the UK can not mechanically entry the non-public data of EU residents, and 5 European international locations have accused TfL of illegally acquiring the knowledge.
France, Germany, Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands have claimed that the small print of the drivers had been acquired by Euro Parking Collection, the contractor who enforces Ulez abroad.
Over 100 French drivers are suing TfL due to the alleged fraudulent means used to purchase their private data, while truck drivers from the Netherlands and difficult over £6.5milliion value of fines.
Some of the automobiles fined have been misclassed as heavy items diesel automobiles, which may incur penalties of up to £2,000 a day.
Many of the drivers who got fines weren’t conscious that they’d to register their automobiles prior to coming to London. Therefore, those that deliberate a spontaneous journey to the capital had been basically assured a tremendous.
Freilich mentioned: “This is probably one of many largest privateness and knowledge breaches in EU historical past, however to this point no concrete motion has been taken whereas obligations are being shunted on to drivers.”
He has requested ministers to elevate the problem in the course of the present Belgian presidency of the Council of the EU.
TfL has justified the penalty notices because it was unable to decide whether or not the automobiles had been compliant or not as they weren’t registered.
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A TfL spokesperson mentioned: “Any firm engaged on our behalf is contractually required to be certain that knowledge is processed according to the related knowledge safety laws.
“We work intently with European Parking Collection (EPC) to guarantee all parts of the contract are being adhered to and have mechanisms in place ought to they not be fulfilled.
“EPC make it clear once they submit requests for keeper knowledge in EU international locations that they’re performing on behalf of TfL, for enforcement of street person charging in London, even once they route these requests by a 3rd social gathering.
“EPC has not been prevented from accessing keeper knowledge for drivers in EU international locations. Despite an absence of country-to-country knowledge sharing agreements, we perceive that beneath native legal guidelines, some car licensing authorities are obliged to share car proprietor data with authorities exterior of their nation to help with the enforcement of site visitors rules.”
