Just one in five drivers are paying their ULEZ fines on time, new research suggests, as motorists ignore Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs).

A Freedom of Information by Turo has found Londoners are failing to heed strict rules on emissions levels in the capital, with £438million in total fines owed.

More than 100,000 cars have received five or more times, with a further 76,000 having received ten or more.

It highlights the difficulty many Londoners have affording either a new compliant car or ULEZ fines.

The ULEZ border was extended in 2023 and now encompasses all London boroughs, with 9million people living within the zone.

A recent report found ULEZ expansion is working with 95 per cent of vehicles across inner and outer London now compliant with clean air standards. However the number of drivers getting caught shows it's not all plain sailing.

Since the ULEZ expansion in 2023 TFL has issued more than 2.4million penalties – equivalent to one every 15 seconds.

Despite this near constant stream of fines dished out, the FOI has discovered just 20.2 per cent are being paid on time.

This 20 per cent is equivalent to 499,688 PCNs being paid within the stipulated 14 days, which tallies up to just under £45million.

Fewer than 17,000 drivers paid within the full rate period, suggesting many struggle to pay once they have missed the early payment window.

Penalty charges for driving a non-compliant vehicle in the Ultra Low Emission Zone is £180.

The discounted rate if paid within 14 days means drivers have to part with £90.

But a huge number of drivers are not paying at all, with 1.1million warrants issued without payment as of 1 October 2024, and 500,000 other outstanding fines totalling the £437m.

The level of fines issued has stepped up massively since the ULEZ zone was expanded in August 2023.

Back then just 440,000 vehicles had more than a single PCN issued, but today that’s risen to 1.3million.

A single driver has managed to rack up an insane number of fines; 1,077 separate PCNs have been issued to one car, meaning that driver owes £2.4million in fines.

This indebted driver will be part of the 38,885 drivers that have seen their PCNs sent to bailiffs to collect.

The total amount collected by bailiffs comes to almost £9.3 million.

ULEZ expansion: Which areas does it cover and how much does it cost?

ULEZ was introduced in April 2019 and applied to a small area of inner London.

Brought in by Labour's Sadiq Khan, it was originally announced under Conservative Mayor Boris Johnson in 2013 as a means to improve air quality.

Then on 29 August 2023 Mayor Sadiq Khan expanded it to cover all London boroughs – and the backlash was immense, with even an unsuccessful High Court challenge mounted.

The ULEZ costs drivers with non-compliant cars £12.50 a day to drive within the ULEZ and TfL maintains a network of cameras which use Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology to enforce this.

Anyone driving into London in a diesel car that doesn't meet Euro 6 emission standards - generally motors registered after September 2015 - have to pay a daily £12.50 levy to enter the zone.

For petrol car drivers, only vehicles that fail to meet Euro 4 standards - registered after 2005 - are charged under the scheme's existing rules.