Time to re-examine the PCN process

By Sarah Tooze, consumer editor at Heycar

How many of your drivers have been a victim of car cloning - whereby criminals copy a legitimate vehicle registration and typically put the fake plate on a vehicle that is stolen, unroadworthy or used in illegal activity?

If it hasn’t happened to one of your drivers yet it could be on the cards.

We recently uncovered a worrying rise in cases of car cloning in London alone.

The latest data we sourced from Transport for London (TfL) shows an 857% increase in the number of penalty charge notices (PCNs) being cancelled due to the car being a clone in April compared to a year ago, and a 631% increase since the ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ) was expanded in October 2021.

With more clean air zones (CAZs) being introduced this year and next, and the planned city-wide expansion of the ULEZ, it’s a problem that will only grow as criminals look to avoid charges and fines.

What PCN process do you have in place?

With that in mind, it’s time to look at the process you have in place to make sure you aren’t inadvertently paying a PCN for a cloned car and that drivers can make a successful appeal.  

If you lease your cars, check whether your leasing provider notifies the driver directly when a PCN is received, meaning that it is up to the driver to pay the fine or to appeal or whether they are simply paying the fine and recharging.

If it’s the latter, are they invoicing you the company, leaving you to reclaim the money from the driver through payroll or recharging the driver? And are they charging you an admin fee for each PCN they receive?

In a worst case scenario, you could be paying a fine and paying an admin fee to the leasing company for a PCN for a cloned vehicle, meaning that you’re paying twice for something that your driver wasn’t even responsible for. 

Similarly, it’s worth checking what process you have in place with your daily rental provider when a PCN is received. 

How can you help your drivers make a successful appeal?

You also need to consider how you might be able to support your driver with the appeals process.

If you or your drivers don’t make the effort to appeal then the issuing authorities won’t be aware that car cloning has taken place and the problem will continue to go under reported. 

Our research found that appealing can be far from straightforward, with some councils and TfL demanding a crime reference number which is difficult to obtain from the police. 

Authorities need to make the process easier for innocent victims. But there are also simple measures, as we have outlined in our guide, which you and your drivers can take to help achieve a successful appeal.