Paul Kirby, an executive of the Licensed Taxi Drivers' Association, writes in TAXI, the association's newspaper, on 27 October 2026 that the association is hearing of rental garages charging, unfairly in his opinion, anything between £25 and £40 to transfer the liability for a penalty charge notice.
What the fee is for
The transfer is the step of giving the relevant council, or Transport for London, the name and address of the driver on the day the notice was issued. The authority then sends the notice out again to that driver. Anyone can pay a penalty charge notice. It has to be in the driver's own name and address if the notice is to be challenged.
Before paying the garage
Get the PCN number and the registration of the cab, and have the notice checked before paying a garage for the transfer.
"Although anyone can pay a PCN, it needs to be in your name and address if the PCN is to be challenged. So, before you pay your rental garage any of your hard-earned money for this so-called 'service', all you need to get is the PCN number and the reg number of the cab and call the LTDA. We will check it immediately and advise on whether a challenge is even possible. Following that check you can then decide if it's better to pay it at the reduced amount or invest in a challenge."