Mayor of London backs crackdown on ghost number plates as TfL revenue losses highlighted
- Perry Richardson
- 37 minutes ago
- 3 min read
The Mayor of London has backed the recommendations of a parliamentary report calling for stronger action against illegal or so-called ghost number plates, following claims that the practice is costing Transport for London tens of millions of pounds each year in lost revenue.
Responding to a formal City Hall question from Caroline Russell of the City Hall Greens, the Mayor said urgent action was required to curb the growth of ghost plates being used to avoid road user charging and airport drop-off fees.
The issue was raised with reference to a December 2025 report by the All Party Parliamentary Group for Transport, which warned of a sharp increase in the use of illegal and cloned registration plates across the capital. The report cited evidence submitted by Transport for London showing that PCN cancellations linked to cloned plates more than doubled between 2021 and 2022, rising from 7,274 to 16,553 cases.
The APPG estimated that TfL could be losing £49.8m in revenue annually, alongside £898.8m in uncollected fines, although the Mayor stressed these figures were not official TfL calculations. “The quoted lost revenue figures are estimates made by the All Party Parliamentary Group for Transport, not official figures from Transport for London,” the response said.
London Mayor says police-led enforcement and new camera technology are central to tackling illegal plates used to evade charges
Despite this, the Mayor said he supported the recommendations set out in the report and acknowledged the scale of the problem facing London’s enforcement system. The use of ghost plates has been linked to attempts to evade congestion charging, ULEZ fees and airport access charges, with taxis and private hire vehicles among those cited in the report.
Responsibility for enforcement sits primarily with the police rather than TfL, the Mayor confirmed, but he said the transport authority was taking steps to improve detection. TfL is currently reviewing and trialling technical solutions designed to enhance its camera network so that illegal or altered number plates can be identified more effectively.
The Mayor added that TfL is working closely with the Metropolitan Police Service and other stakeholders, while the Government is also pursuing measures to address the growing use of ghost plates nationally. The response described the issue as a pressing concern, both in terms of lost revenue and wider compliance with road charging schemes.
The comments are likely to be closely watched by taxi and private hire operators, who have previously warned that weak enforcement against illegal plates undermines compliant drivers and distorts the cost of operating in London, particularly as road charging and airport fees continue to expand.
The Mayor of London said: “The quoted lost revenue figures are estimates made by the All Party Parliamentary Group for Transport (APPGTS), not official figures from Transport for London (TfL).
“However, action needs to be taken to stop the rise in illegal registration plates and Transport for London (TfL) and I agree with the recommendations in the APPGTS report.
“The issue of enforcement against ghost plates falls under the jurisdiction of the police rather than TfL, but they are taking steps to address the issue. They are currently reviewing and trialling different technical solutions, with the aim of enhancing their camera network to better identify illegal registration plates. The Government is also taking action to combat ghost plates.
“TfL will work with the Metropolitan Police and other stakeholders to address this pressing issue.”
