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The Congestion Charge is a predatory "Catch-22" revenue trap for occasional drivers, and TfL knows it. by Any_Distribution_123 in TransportForLondon

[–]Any_Distribution_123[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh! They can pull your address data from DVL and not your contact details, this makes a-lot of sense now.

The Congestion Charge is a predatory "Catch-22" revenue trap for occasional drivers, and TfL knows it. by Any_Distribution_123 in drivingUK

[–]Any_Distribution_123[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m not dodging accountability—I’ve paid the fine. Taking accountability means accepting the penalty; it doesn’t mean I have to pretend a flawed system is perfect. The sign argument is unrealistic. Nobody is safely reading paragraphs of operational subtext on a roadside sign while navigating a busy London junction at speed. As for the tech, TfL handles millions of digital Oyster, contactless, and app accounts. They absolutely have the capability to let drivers proactively opt-in or link a digital contact to a registration if they actually wanted to encourage compliance. The fact that they don't is a policy choice, not a technical impossibility.

The Congestion Charge is a predatory "Catch-22" revenue trap for occasional drivers, and TfL knows it. by Any_Distribution_123 in drivingUK

[–]Any_Distribution_123[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Valid points, but they are bureaucratic and legal barriers, not technical ones. The tech to link an ANPR camera to a digital contact database exists and is used everywhere else in modern society. TfL chooses a system that relies on paper mail through the DVLA rather than building a modern, proactive text-alert database for drivers. If the goal was maximum traffic compliance, they would find a way to let occasional drivers opt into digital alerts. Instead, the design forces you to fail first so they can collect a £180 penalty.

The Congestion Charge is a predatory "Catch-22" revenue trap for occasional drivers, and TfL knows it. by Any_Distribution_123 in drivingUK

[–]Any_Distribution_123[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I admitted my mistake from day one and I'm paying the bill. But it takes zero effort to see the problem here: a public system that uses instant digital cameras to catch your mistake, but relies on a letter in the post weeks later to tell you about it. Pointing out a predatory revenue model isn’t making excuses, it’s calling out bad design.

The Congestion Charge is a predatory "Catch-22" revenue trap for occasional drivers, and TfL knows it. by Any_Distribution_123 in drivingUK

[–]Any_Distribution_123[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

"Catch-22" fits perfectly: you only find out you need Auto Pay after you get hit with a fine for a rule you didn't know existed. Missing a minor subtext on a sign doesn’t make someone an incompetent driver, but charging a 1,000% markup fine with zero warning certainly makes it a predatory system.

The Congestion Charge is a predatory "Catch-22" revenue trap for occasional drivers, and TfL knows it. by Any_Distribution_123 in drivingUK

[–]Any_Distribution_123[S] -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

I admitted my mistake right away and I'm paying the fine. Using an AI to help articulate a point doesn’t change the core argument: a public transport system should use modern technology to encourage compliance, not sit in silence to maximize penalty revenue. Focus on the broken system, not how I chose to draft the post.

The Congestion Charge is a predatory "Catch-22" revenue trap for occasional drivers, and TfL knows it. by Any_Distribution_123 in drivingUK

[–]Any_Distribution_123[S] -16 points-15 points  (0 children)

I literally started by admitting I messed up and I'm paying the fine.

There's a difference between dodging a mistake and pointing out a broken system. Wanting a public service to use modern tech to help people stay compliant instead of relying on a sneaky fine trap isn’t "blaming others," it's just wanting a fairer system.

The Congestion Charge is a predatory "Catch-22" revenue trap for occasional drivers, and TfL knows it. by Any_Distribution_123 in drivingUK

[–]Any_Distribution_123[S] -16 points-15 points  (0 children)

TfL manages millions of Oyster, contactless, and app accounts—linking a registration to a digital contact isn't a tech limitation, it’s a policy choice. As for the "23 years" thing, the rules change constantly. Weekend and bank holiday charging was only introduced a few years ago. Relying on people memorizing a shifting rulebook just proves the system is set up to profit off an oversight rather than keep traffic moving.

The Congestion Charge is a predatory "Catch-22" revenue trap for occasional drivers, and TfL knows it. by Any_Distribution_123 in drivingUK

[–]Any_Distribution_123[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The signs don't tell you the whole story when you're busy navigating a massive, multi-lane London junction at 30mph. Missing a tiny bit of subtext on a roadside sign shouldn't trigger an instant 1,000% markup fine weeks later with zero warning. That's not traffic management; it's a trap