March 13, 2023
After concerns raised by riders of motorcycles which have been registered in the Historic Vehicle class of vehicle by the DVSA, the National Motorcyclists Council (NMC) has received confirmation from Transport for London (TfL) that motorcycles of all ages are not subject to the Congestion Charge.
Concerns were raised by members of the Vintage Motor Cycle Club (VMCC) who were worried that the charge can be levied if riding into the Congestion Charge Zone. This is because the Historic Vehicle class is not exempt from the charge. This raises an anomalous scenario where pre Euro 3 emissions motorcycles would, on the face of it, become exempt from Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) charge upon being reregistered as historic vehicles at 40 years old - only to become subject to the Congestion Charge at the same time. The NMC raised the issue with TfL so that clarity could be sought.
A resulting communication from TfL to the NMC will bring reassurance to riders of historic motorcycles who have raised concerns. TfL said: “It should be noted that motorcycles (including those registered in the DVLA’s Historic tax class) are exempt from the Congestion Charge. In the event that someone has found themselves charged, we would ask them to get in touch with the Congestion Charge team and provide the Vehicle Registration Mark of the vehicle(s) in question, so the team can investigate further. The Operations team is currently looking into this matter further to check that PCNs are not being issued to motorcycles in the Historic tax class".
The VMCC’s Roger Bibbings said: “There have been genuine concerns raised by riders of historic bikes that the congestion charge could apply. This clarification from TfL is very welcome and we hope that it reassures all riders of motorcycles which are over 40 years old.”
The NMC is also calling for all pre Euro 3 motorcycles to be exempt from ULEZ charges as part of its lobbying in response to increasingly controversial proposals to extend the ULEZ zone to effectively the whole of Greater London.
ENDS
Notes for Editors:
1. For further comment from the NMC please contact Craig Carey-Clinch, on 07979 757484 / craig@uknmc.org.
2. National Motorcyclists Council members are: The Auto Cycle Union, BikeSocial, BikeTrac, the British Motorcyclists Federation, IAM RoadSmart, the National Motorcycle Dealers Association, Plantec Assist, the Trail Riders Fellowship and the Vintage Motor Cycle Club.
