A recent document published by Transport for London (TfL) has revealed that the Nigerian High Commission in the United Kingdom accumulated a staggering £8.4 million in unpaid congestion charges over a period of 21 years, spanning from the launch of the congestion charge in 2003 to the end of 2023.
According to the document, Nigeria is not the only debtor, as even wealthier nations owe a combined total of over £143.53 million in accumulated debts for unpaid congestion charge payments.
The document stated, “The embassies of the US and Japan topped the list of offenders, with debts of £14.6 million and £10.1 million, respectively, while India was in third place with £8.5 million. Nigeria was fourth on the list.”
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Other countries listed as debtors include Russia, China, Poland, Ghana, Kenya, France, Kazakhstan, Germany, Cuba, Tanzania, Spain, and Togo, which had the least charges at £40.
The TfL is an integrated transport authority responsible for overseeing various modes of transportation in London, including the tube, buses, trams, cars, bikes, and river services. On its website, the organization describes itself as “an integrated transport authority responsible for meeting Mayor Sadiq Khan’s strategy and commitments on transport in London. We run the day-to-day operation of the capital’s public transport network and manage London’s main roads.”
The congestion charge scheme involves a £15 daily fee for driving within an area of central London between 7 am and 6 pm on weekdays and between noon and 6 pm on weekends and bank holidays. However, there are discounts and exemptions for various groups of people and vehicles, such as residents, taxis, and fully electric cars.
The diplomats have argued that the congestion charge is a tax, exempting them from paying it under the Vienna Convention. However, the TfL insists that the payment is a service charge and not a tax. “This means that diplomats are not exempt from paying it,” the body said in the material it made public.
The TfL stressed that while the majority of embassies in London pay the charge, there remains a “stubborn minority” that refuses to do so, despite representations through diplomatic channels.
The TfL stated, “We and the UK Government are clear that the Congestion Charge is a charge for a service and not a tax. This means that diplomats are not exempt from paying it, the majority of embassies in London do pay the charge, but there remains a stubborn minority who refuse to do so, despite our representations through diplomatic channels.”
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The organization added that it will continue to pursue all unpaid congestion charge fees and related penalty charge notices, noting that it is pushing for the matter to be taken up at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
“We will continue to pursue all unpaid Congestion Charge fees and related penalty charge notices and are pushing for the matter to be taken up at the International Court of Justice,” the TfL concluded.
The unpaid congestion charges owed by diplomatic missions in London highlight the ongoing dispute between the authorities and foreign embassies over the nature of the charge and its applicability under the Vienna Convention.
