How Can I Challenge A TFL Red Route PCN?

This blog serves to answer the question “How Can I Challenge A TFL Red Route PCN?” You need to be aware of the areas marked under the Red Route in London and be prepared to challenge a PCN served in your journey across these parts of the city. All the parking bays, bus lanes, cycle lanes, yellow box junctions and banned turn signs that fall along the Red Route in London are managed by Transport for London.

How Can I Challenge A TFL Red Route PCN?

You can challenge a TFL Red Route PCN by filling in the online formal representation form on the Transport for London website or by writing a representation on the reverse of your Notice to Owner document and sending it in to the Transport for London address.

Transport for London manages the following activities on Red Routes: banned turns, parking, bus lanes(entry), cycle lanes (entry) and double red lines (no stopping). So you will be charged a TFL Red Route PCN for stopping your vehicle on double red lines, for parking on zig zag lines, for parking your vehicle for longer than permitted by the sign at the parking space.

You need to follow signs for enforcing banned turns such as the must continue straight ahead only sign, must turn left at the next junction, must turn right at the next junction, and the can’t do signs such as can’t turn right, can’t turn left or can’t make a u turn.Failure to adhere to these traffic signs will lead you to being served a PCN. 

You also need to make sure that you are able to exit a yellow box junction within the specified time in order to avoid a PCN. You cannot stop or park your vehicle on a part of the Red Route with zig zags, pedestrian crossings, a wide red line or a double red line, a pavement or on cycle lanes. 

In many cases, PCNs are not enforceable and you may be able to win your case and avoid having to pay your fine.

You could begin the process by speaking to an online solicitor for as little as £5. 

What is a Penalty Charge Notice?

A Penalty Charge Notice is a monetary penalty issued to drivers or motorists for committing certain traffic contraventions including violating Parking, Bus Lane and Moving Traffic restrictions. A PCN is issued for failing to follow Parking zone, bus lane enforcement and moving traffic restrictions mentioned in the Road Traffic Act 1984 and the Traffic Management Act 2004.

A penalty charge notice can be handed to you by a Civil Enforcement Officer or dispatched to your (DVLA) residential address by post. CCTV cameras and Civil Enforcement Officers observe traffic contraventions before a violation is detected and the vehicle is charged with a PCN.

A PCN might also be issued for failing to pay road charges on time. You have 28 days to decide how and if you would like to challenge your Penalty Charge Notice. After 28 days if you have neither paid nor challenged your PCN, you will be sent a charge certificate from the Traffic Penalty Tribunal.

If you don’t challenge a PCN, you should pay the fine within 28 days, otherwise, its amount will increase by 50%. A £70 PCN will be worth £105 if you pay it in the 14 days after receiving your charge certificate.

What is the procedure for appealing against a TFL Red Route PCN?

You can submit a formal representation to your TFL Red Route PCN by writing a letter addressed to Transport for London or by filling in the online formal representation form on Transport for London’s official website.

You need to brainstorm reasons for challenging a TFL Red Route PCN from the day of the incident and list them down in word processing software or on paper. It is essential to have some authentic evidence to attach with your PCN appeal in the form of video footage of the traffic violation, medical certificates explaining your mitigating circumstances, or pay and display tickets. 

The evidence must be matched with the grounds for your appeal before describing the incident from your point of view. Your rough formal representation can be edited for clarity multiple times before it is ready to attach to your online appeal to Transport for London. You need to visit the Transport for London website to submit a formal representation to your PCN. You have to open this webpage to enter your PCN number and your Vehicle Registration Number. You need to click on “Continue”  to view your PCN details before filling in the online appeals form.

It is essential to upload authentic evidence material with your PCN challenge to describe your mitigating circumstances to Transport for London and for explaining your point of view of the events which took place at the traffic violation scene.  If you made a video clip of your traffic contravention, you should save snapshots from it by using a video player or video editing software. 

Most video players such as VLC player allow you to slow down your video frame by frame and thus take ( a collection of) snapshots to attach with your TFL Red Route PCN challenge.The text of your appeal must state the relevant contravention code on your PCN and explain how you attempted to avoid the error (supported by photos or video footage).

Once you have proofread your appeal to eliminate any reasons for your challenge which might convey a disregard for traffic contravention codes enforced under the TFL Red Route (by mixing up the contraventions) or reasons which involve forgetfulness to justify your actions, you can submit the formal representation.

Another way to send in your TFL Red Route PCN challenge is by mail. You can write a formal representation to Transport for London on the reverse of your “Notice to Owner” document. This handwritten appeal should be composed gradually by incorporating all the available evidence material to support the grounds for your challenge and should be able to convince the council of your mitigating circumstances (or other acceptable reasons).

You should view evidence relating to your TFL Red Route PCN online before writing down your appeal, so that you end up focusing on refuting the contents of the CCTV video or photographs or your traffic violation. Your PCN appeals form and all accompanying evidence documents (enclosed in an envelope) need to be sent to:

Red Routes,

PO Box 335,

Darlington DLI 9PU

Transport for London will respond to your PCN appeal and your PCN will be cancelled or you will be sent a Notice of Rejection or Representations, which needs to be received promptly in order to contest the notice with the London Tribunals.

How much is the PCN fine for a TFL Red Route PCN?

A TFL Red Route PCN will require £160 to be paid by you. If you choose to pay it within 14 days, you need to pay only £80. 

How can I pay my TFL Red Route PCN fine?

It is best to make your TFL Red Route PCN fine payment online on the TFL website using Visa Card, Master Card, Direct Debit or Maestro Card. This method saves time and is also more precise. 

You need to enter your PCN number  and your vehicle registration mark  after opening this webpage to initiate the PCN fine payment online.To complete your fine submission online you also have to enter your payment card details in the next window after clicking “Continue” You must remember to wait for 24 hours after your PCN is issued before attempting to pay it.

But if you want to pay by post you need to attach a check or postal order payable to “Transport for London” and send it to this address:

Red Routes,

PO Box 335,

Darlington DLI 9PU

You should remember to write down your PCN number and Vehicle Registration Number on the back of your check or postal order.

What will happen if I don’t pay my TFL Red Route PCN within the 28-day limit?

If you fail to pay your TFL Red Route PCN within the 28-day limit you will be sent a charge certificate from Transport for London. The charge certificate increases your PCN fine by 50%. You should pay the charge certificate within 14 days as it cannot be appealed and ignoring the charge certificate may result in the filing of a court order (for recovery of debts) against you by Transport for London.

When the charge certificate is also not paid within 14 days, you will receive a “Notice of Debt Registration” and a witness certificate from Transport for London. The unpaid amount will be treated as a debt with the Traffic Enforcement Centre at the Northampton County Court.

The court order for debt recovery enforces that the charge certificate amount must be paid in full within 21 days or it will have to use additional powers to recover the money from your possession.

Can I dispute a TFL Red Route PCN with the London Tribunals if Transport for London dismisses my appeal?

Yes, you can dispute a TFL Red Route PCN with the Traffic Adjudicators at London Tribunals within 28 days of getting your “Notice of Rejection of Representations” from Transport for London. You have to fill in the form provided to you with the Notice of Rejection and mail it to this postal address:

London Tribunals,

PO Box 10598,

Nottingham,

NG6 6DR

 You can also choose to dispute the “Notice of Rejection” from Transport for London with the London Tribunals online by clicking on the “Access the Appellants Portal” button on this webpage. All you will be required to do is simply enter your Vehicle Registration Number, PCN number, and the reference number or code from your “Notice of Rejection of Representations” letter.

You can attach copies of evidence documents online to back up your appeal against the decision of Transport for London. Such evidence may also include a signed and dated written statement describing what happened on the scene according to the viewpoint of a bystander.

London Tribunals will notify both you and Transport for London of the hearing date. If Transport for London contests your appeal, it will provide you with a copy of its application along with the evidence sent by it to the Traffic Adjudicators at London Tribunals. In case the independent parking and traffic adjudicator decides the case in your favour, Transport for London will promptly withdraw the PCN.

If the PCN is cancelled at this stage, you will have to pay nothing. If the London Tribunals decide the case in the council’s favour, you will be given another 28 days to pay the PCN fine.

Conclusion

This blog post addressed the question “How Can I Challenge A TFL Red Route PCN?” You will be required to take a stand against the contravention you have allegedly breached along the Red Route in London and make sure that you use strong evidence to support your case..Your Red Route PCN challenge might be focusing on an incorrect turn that you made along a red route traffic sign or it could be about parking your vehicle at times when it is not allowed by a car park.