{"id":855,"date":"2025-07-23T12:39:11","date_gmt":"2025-07-23T12:39:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/?p=855"},"modified":"2025-07-24T12:27:24","modified_gmt":"2025-07-24T12:27:24","slug":"londons-us-embassy-owes-15600000-in-congestion-charges","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/23\/londons-us-embassy-owes-15600000-in-congestion-charges\/","title":{"rendered":"London\u2019s US Embassy owes \u00a315,600,000 in congestion charges"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"431\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-23730893 lazyload\" alt=\"A central London congestion charge road sign.\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/SEI_253317340-364f.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>World&#8217;s superpowers like the US, China and Russia are refusing to pay the congestion charges (Picture: Shutterstock)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The <a data-track=\"inline-tag-auto-link_article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/us-news\/\">US<\/a> Embassy and 144 other diplomatic missions have been named and shamed for owing \u00a3161 million in <a data-track=\"inline-tag-auto-link_article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/london\/\">London<\/a> congestion charges.<\/p>\n<p>We have all been there &#8211; trying to avoid paying a fine and hoping it will just go away.<\/p>\n<p>But when you are the diplomatic representative of a superpower like the US and owe millions, the pressure is on. <\/p>\n<p>Embassies from 145 countries have racked up around \u00a3161 million in unpaid congestion charges, the latest TfL figures show. <\/p>\n<p>But dozens of embassies are refusing to pay up, despite TfL insisting that the congestion charge is for a service and not a tax, meaning foreign officials are not exempt under diplomatic law. <\/p>\n<p>Here is a list of the top 10 worst offenders. <\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Top 10 embassies for congestion charge debt <\/h3>\n<p>The transport authority released its <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2024\/05\/21\/five-embassies-biggest-tfl-debt-congestion-bill-passes-143m-20878069\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2024\/05\/21\/five-embassies-biggest-tfl-debt-congestion-bill-passes-143m-20878069\/\">annual naughty list<\/a> showing who owes the most.<\/p>\n<div class=\"flourish-embed flourish-chart\" data-src=\"visualisation\/24369133\" data-secret=\"rAO6l4cmac\"><\/div>\n<p>The worst offender for unpaid charges is the US, which owes around \u00a315.6 million, accumulated between 2003 and June 30, 2025. <\/p>\n<p>Second on the list is the Japanese embassy with around \u00a310.76 million in debt.<\/p>\n<p>China has moved to the third spot this year thanks to its \u00a310.71 debt, surpassing Nigeria and India. <\/p>\n<p>Russia hovers in sixth spot, with around \u00a36.1 million in unpaid congestion charges. <\/p>\n<div class=\"factbox\" data-ico=\"factbox_article\" data-track-module=\"factbox_article\">\n<h2 class=\"factbox-title\">\n\t\t\t\tLatest London news\t\t\t<\/h2>\n<div class=\"factbox-content\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/07\/09\/fire-rips-block-flats-south-east-london-23616646\/\">Mother screamed &#8216;my boy, my boy&#8217; after fire ripped through block of flats<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/07\/10\/a-real-nuisance-londoners-say-citys-e-bike-boom-23609213\/\">&#8216;A real nuisance&#8217; &#8211; Londoners have their say on the city&#8217;s e-bike boom<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/07\/10\/man-30s-stabbed-death-outside-knightsbridge-casino-23625414\/\">Woman screamed &#8216;Oh my god&#8217; after man was stabbed to death outside Casino<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em><strong>To get the latest news from the capital visit Metro&#8217;s<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/london\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> London news hub<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>TfL said: &#8216;The majority of embassies in London do pay the charge, but there remains a stubborn minority who refuse to do so, despite our representations through diplomatic channels.&#8217; <\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"646\" height=\"676\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"article-image wp-image-23266586 lazyload\" alt=\"Congestion charge map showing where drivers have to pay the charge in central London.\" loading=\"lazy\" data-src=\"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/SEI_253409788-f378.jpg\">\t<\/div><figcaption>A map shows where all drivers have to pay the congestion charge in central London, where most embassies are based (Picture: Metro)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>London is home to around 168 diplomatic missions, including embassies, consulates and high commissions. <\/p>\n<p>The latest list comes less than two months before Donald Trump is expected to land in the UK <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/07\/14\/king-host-donald-trumps-second-uk-state-visit-windsor-castle-23506408\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/07\/14\/king-host-donald-trumps-second-uk-state-visit-windsor-castle-23506408\/\">for his official state visit<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>Rumours are also swirling that the US President <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/07\/09\/donald-trump-to-visit-uk-weeks-police-preparing-significant-operation-23621204\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/07\/09\/donald-trump-to-visit-uk-weeks-police-preparing-significant-operation-23621204\/\">will visit Scotland this week<\/a> as the second course at his golf club in Aberdeenshire opens. <\/p>\n<p>A&nbsp;TfL&nbsp;spokesperson told <strong>Metro<\/strong>:&nbsp;&#8216;Foreign diplomats and consular staff are not exempt from paying the Congestion Charge.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;We continue to pursue all unpaid Congestion Charges and related penalty charge notices.&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>A spokesperson from the US Embassy in London told <strong>Metro<\/strong>: &#8216;In accordance with international law as reflected in the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, our position is that the\u00a0Congestion\u00a0Charge\u00a0is a tax from which diplomatic missions are exempt.\u00a0 Our long-standing position is shared by many other diplomatic missions in London.&#8217; <\/p>\n<p>Motorists have to pay the \u00a315 daily <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/05\/28\/londons-congestion-charge-set-rise-much-cost-23266075\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/05\/28\/londons-congestion-charge-set-rise-much-cost-23266075\/\">congestion charge<\/a> if they drive within the CC zone during the busiest times of the day &#8211; and this includes diplomats. <\/p>\n<p>The congestion charge, designed to discourage traffic during the peak travel times in central London, is <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/05\/28\/londons-congestion-charge-set-rise-much-cost-23266075\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/05\/28\/londons-congestion-charge-set-rise-much-cost-23266075\/\">set to rise to \u00a318<\/a> from next year. <\/p>\n<p>It is different to the <a href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/ulez\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/ulez\/\">Ultra Low Emission Zone<\/a> fee, which generally applies to older cars not compliant with the Ulez standards in Greater London. <\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><strong><strong><strong>Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"mailto:webnews@metro.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\">webnews@metro.co.uk<\/a>.<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"\"><strong>For more stories like this, <\/strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/news\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>check our news page<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<section id=\"share-buttons-bottom-start\" class=\"share-buttons share-buttons-bottom\"><a class=\"comment-now metro-button metro-comments-cta\" data-vars-position=\"bottom\" href=\"#metro-comments-container\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t<span><title>Comment now<\/title><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"comment-now__label\">Comments<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t<\/a><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>World&#8217;s superpowers like the US, China and Russia are refusing to pay the congestion charges (Picture: Shutterstock) The US Embassy and 144 other diplomatic missions have been named and shamed for owing \u00a3161 million in London congestion charges. We have all been there &#8211; trying to avoid paying a fine and hoping it will just go away. But when you are the diplomatic representative of a superpower like the US and owe millions, the pressure is on. Embassies from 145 &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/index.php\/2025\/07\/23\/londons-us-embassy-owes-15600000-in-congestion-charges\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;London\u2019s US Embassy owes \u00a315,600,000 in congestion charges&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":857,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-855","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cost-of-living"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/855","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=855"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/855\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":860,"href":"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/855\/revisions\/860"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/857"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=855"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=855"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.airnetaccess.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=855"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}