Editing London congestion charge (section)

===Suspensions, avoidance and evasion===
TfL can and does suspend the congestion charge either in a small local area to cope with incidents and if directed to do so by a police officer.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://custserv.tfl.gov.uk/icss_csip/GetDetailInformation.do?entityNum=00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000003076&kbname=SDB&newTabtext=Congestion%20Charging |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120605211821/https://custserv.tfl.gov.uk/icss_csip/GetDetailInformation.do?entityNum=00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000003076&kbname=SDB&newTabtext=Congestion%20Charging |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 June 2012 |title=Will I have to pay the Charge if I am diverted into the Zone? |work=Congestion Charge |publisher=[[Transport for London]] |access-date=18 April 2015 }}</ref> The congestion charge was suspended on 7 and 8 July 2005 in response to the [[7 July 2005 London bombings|terrorist attacks on London Transport]].<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.forbes.com/work/feeds/afx/2005/07/07/afx2128894.html |title=London Bombs Roundup Four terrorist blasts kill at least 37 people Update |work=Forbes |author=AFX News Limited |access-date=26 May 2007 |date=7 July 2005 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070503060332/http://www.forbes.com/work/feeds/afx/2005/07/07/afx2128894.html |archive-date=3 May 2007}}</ref> The congestion charge was also suspended on 2 February 2009, in response to an extreme weather event (heavy snowfall) in the London area.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7864553.stm |work=BBC News |date=2 February 2009 |title=Heavy snow hits much of Britain |access-date=2 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150418175327/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7864553.stm |archive-date=18 April 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Although avoidance has become more sophisticated, compliance with the scheme and terms of payment has improved over the last few years,{{When|date=July 2019}} as is evidenced by the income from penalties dropping by approximately a quarter between 2005 and 2007. However, even after charges were increased, enforcement charges still made up a significant proportion (42–48%) of total revenues.<ref name=tfljune2005>{{cite web |url=http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/ThirdAnnualReportFinal.pdf |title=Impacts Monitoring – Third Annual Report |date=April 2005 |publisher=[[Transport for London]] |access-date=23 November 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140224074429/http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/ThirdAnnualReportFinal.pdf |archive-date=24 February 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=tfljune2007>{{cite web |url=http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/fifth-annual-impacts-monitoring-report-2007-07-07.pdf |title=Impacts Monitoring – Fifth Annual Report |publisher=[[Transport for London]] |date=June 2007 |access-date=23 November 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140122090211/http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/fifth-annual-impacts-monitoring-report-2007-07-07.pdf |archive-date=22 January 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The 2008 annual report on the operation of the scheme shows that around 26% of penalties go unpaid, because the notice is cancelled on appeal or the amount cannot be recovered, for example if the registered keeper of the vehicle cannot be traced, has died, or is bankrupt.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/sixth-annual-impacts-monitoring-report-2008-07.pdf |work=Central London Congestion Charging |title=Impacts monitoring—Sixth Annual Report, July 2008 |publisher= [[Transport for London]] |date=July 2008 |pages=215–19 |access-date=7 August 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140224073613/http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/sixth-annual-impacts-monitoring-report-2008-07.pdf |archive-date=24 February 2014}}</ref>

Several newspapers have reported about the use of copied [[British car number plates|number plates]] to avoid the congestion charge, resulting in vehicle owners receiving penalty notices for failure to pay when their vehicles have not been inside the zone.  Numbers known to be copied are stored in a database and trigger alerts, including police vehicle [[Automatic number-plate recognition|ANPR]] camera alerts, when observed in use.<ref name="bbc20040624">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/3837349.stm|title=Car cloners try avoiding charges|work=BBC News|date=24 June 2004|access-date=23 November 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150418175528/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/devon/3837349.stm|archive-date=18 April 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="i20030326">{{Cite news|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20030226/ai_n12672682|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071210230753/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20030226/ai_n12672682|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 December 2007|title=London congestion charge leads to flood of false number plates|work=The Independent|location=UK|first=Charles|last=Arthur|date=26 February 2003|access-date=23 November 2007}}</ref>