Large increase in C-charge appeals

The flood of motorists appealing against congestion charge fines has forced transport chiefs to more than double the number of adjudicators.

When the road toll was launched in February 2003, Transport for London optimistically expected less than than one per cent of motorists to object formally to their fines, generating about 7,000 appeal hearings a year, so only 12 independent adjudicators were appointed to hear complaints from drivers claiming they had been unjustly fined for evading the ?5 charge.

But the Parking and Traffic Appeals Service was overwhelmed as a far higher number of motorists than expected objected to their fines - there were 42,000 appeals in the first 12 months.

To cope with the wave of complaints four more adjudicators were appointed.

But they still struggled to keep pace and by last March had dealt with only half of all appeals.

Now a further 21 adjudicators have been appointed in a bid to keep up with demand, taking the total to 37.

By the end of last year there was a backlog of around 12,000 motorists waiting to have their cases heard.

The backlog has been reduced to about 6,000.

The findings emerged in a response from TfL to a question from the Lynne Featherstone, Lib-Dem chairwoman of the London Assembly transport committee.

Today, she said: "Serious questions must be asked.

"There must be an investigation as to whether Capita is trying to save itself money by deliberately passing the buck of dealing with appeals to the taxpayer-funded adjudication service rather than sorting them out in the first place."