The US embassy in London has come under scrutiny after it was revealed that they owe £14.6m in unpaid congestion charge fees. Figures published by Transport for London (TfL) show that this amount is the highest among all embassies in the capital. The Japanese embassy follows closely behind with a debt of £10.1m, followed by India’s high commission with £8.6m.
Interestingly, the embassy of the Republic of Togo, located in central Africa, appears at the bottom of the list with a mere £40 bill. However, the total amount of unpaid fees and fines accumulated by all diplomats since the launch of the congestion charge in London in 2003 until the end of last year stands at a staggering £143.5m.
In a statement, TfL clarified that the congestion charge is a service charge and not a tax, and therefore diplomats are not exempt from paying it. Despite this, a stubborn minority of embassies refuse to pay, even after numerous attempts through diplomatic channels. TfL has now resorted to pursuing all unpaid fees and related penalty charge notices, and is pushing for the matter to be taken up at the International Court of Justice.
The US embassy in London relocated from Grosvenor Square to Nine Elms in January 2018. A spokesperson for the embassy defended their stance, stating that the congestion charge is a tax from which diplomatic missions are exempt, in accordance with international law as reflected in the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. They also mentioned that their position is shared by many other diplomatic missions in London.
In other UK news, a woman was tragically killed by her pet XL bully dogs, and Elvis Presley’s granddaughter is fighting the auction of Graceland. In February 2020, then foreign secretary Dominic Raab issued a written ministerial statement, revealing that his officials have written to “a number of diplomatic missions and international organisations” to “press for payment” of money owed relating to the congestion charge, parking fines, and business rates.
For those who are unfamiliar with the congestion charge scheme, it involves a daily fee of £15 for driving within an area of central London between 7am and 6pm on weekdays, and between noon and 6pm on weekends and bank holidays. However, there are discounts and exemptions for certain individuals and vehicles, such as residents, taxis, and fully electric cars.
