The US embassy in London is declining to pay more than $18.6 million in neglected clog charges, as per Transport for London (TfL). The congestion charge was implemented in 2003 by TfL, which oversees the city’s extensive transportation system, to reduce congestion and pollution in central London. Drivers in the clog charge zone should pay a $19 everyday expense between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. on non-weekend days and from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on the end of the week.
US Embassy Refuses to Pay $18.6 Million.
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TfL has said it will go after any fees that haven’t been paid, and it’s considering taking the matter to the International Court of Justice. However, the US embassy asserts diplomatic immunity from the penalties. A representative for the consulate said, “As per international law as reflected in the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, our position is that the Clog Charge is a duty from which strategic missions are excluded.” They added that numerous other diplomatic missions in London hold the same position. TfL, nonetheless, contends that the clog charge is delegated as a help instead of a duty, meaning negotiators are not excluded from paying it.
TfL has noticed a “difficult minority” of embassy havens that don’t pay the charge of diplomatic endeavors to determine the issue. One hundred sixty-one embassies, high commissions, and consulates owed more than $182 million in unpaid congestion charge fees as of December 31, 2023. The Japanese embassy haven owes the second-most noteworthy sum, around $12.8 million. This debate isn’t new; in July 2005, the US consulate gave a strategic note declaring that the charge is a duty that can’t legally be forced on the US embassy or its staff. TfL stays firm on its position and keeps looking for an installment of the expenses, stressing the significance of consistency with nearby guidelines for every strategic mission.
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