My surprising journey began two years ago when friends and acquaintances who had visited London received hefty fines, some amounting to thousands of euros, for allegedly contravening London’s emissions zone regulations.

The letters accompanying the penalties accused them of entering the city’s low emissions zone (Lez) without paying the daily charge. The Lez primarily targets heavy, large commercial vehicles, and non-compliant users can be fined up to £2,000 a day. The twist? My friends were in family cars. Furthermore, their vehicles complied with the sister scheme for cars, the ultra low