US embassy in London refuses to pay $18.6 million in congestion charge fees
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The US embassy in London is refusing to pay more than $18.6 million in charges from unpaid congestion fees, according to Transport for London (TfL), which oversees the city’s vast transport network.
The US embassy in London is refusing to pay more than $18.6 million in charges from unpaid congestion fees, according to Transport for London (TfL), which oversees the city’s vast transport network. The congestion charge was introduced in 2003 in order to stem traffic and pollution in central London. Drivers within the congestion charge zone are required to pay a $19 daily charge between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays and 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. on weekends. TfL says it will pursue all unpaid fees and said in a statement it is even “pushing for the matter to be taken up at the International Court of Justice.” The US embassy has declined to pay up and is claiming diplomatic immunity from the fines. “In accordance with international law as reflected in the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, our position is that the Congestion Charge is a tax from which diplomatic missions are exempt,” a US embassy spokesperson said. “Our long-standing position is shared by many other diplomatic missions in London,” the spokesperson added.
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