Transport for London (TfL) and the UK government are actively seeking payment from over 20 countries, including Ghana, for London congestion charges that have been outstanding from 2003 to 2023.
Diplomats collectively owe TfL more than £143 million in unpaid congestion charges. The Ghana High Commission in the UK alone has an outstanding debt of over £5 million.
The US Embassy has the highest debt, exceeding £14 million, followed by the Embassy of Japan with over £10 million and Togo, which owes over £40.
In a statement released on Monday, TfL clarified that the UK government and TfL consider the congestion charge to be a service fee, 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,” the statement added.
TfL emphasized their commitment to collecting all congestion charge fees and related penalty charge notices. They are advocating for the issue to be addressed at the International Court of Justice.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian High Commission has an outstanding debt of over £8.3 million, the Embassy of Sudan owes over £3.9 million, and the Kenya High Commission owes over £3.2 million.
