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THE CONGESTION charge is to increase by 30% next month and will be extended to seven days a week – as Sadiq Khan struggles to fund London’s transport system.
But how much do you have to pay, and how soon do you have to pay it? Here are all the rules and regs, of the new costs…
The Congestion Zone charge in London is increasing by £4.50 per day – or by 30%.
From June 22, the charge has rise from £11.50 to £15 and the hours it will apply will be extended.
The charge was waived during lockdown when the majority of people living in or around London were working from home or only travelling for essential reasons.
However, the £11.50 charge will be reintroduced on Monday 18 May, along with the ultra low emission zone which costs £12.50 for most vehiclesand £100 for heavy lorries or coaches.
And when the new £15 charge comes into effect in June, hours will will be extended, from 7am to 10pm, and run seven days a week.
The mayor’s office said the June increase will “encourage Londoners not to make unnecessary car journeys, and is expected to reduce journeys within the congestion charge zone by a third”.
The Congestion Charge was introduced in 2003 to tackle the traffic problems in London, hoping to reduce the high traffic flow and increase the use of the city’s public transport.
The congestion zone covers zones 1 on the Transport for London tube map.
Currently, there is an £11.50 daily charge for driving a vehicle within the charging zone between 07:00 and 18:00, Monday to Friday, with the payment only required once a day, no matter how many times you drive in and out of the zones.
But as of June the price will be hiked up to £15 per day.
If you don’t pay by midnight on the charging day after you drove in the zone, you’ll get a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) of £130, which will be reduced to £65 if paid within 14 days.
You can pay by automated telephone service but must have a registered account, which involves an additional, one-off £10 payment.
The T-Charge was introduced on October 23, 2017, with cars, vans, minibuses, buses, coaches and heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) in central London needing to meet minimum exhaust emission standards, or pay a daily £10 Emissions Surcharge – also known as the Toxicity Charge, or T-Charge.
This fee will apply for vehicles driving through the same area as the congestion charge but the £10 is in addition to the current congestion charge.
Motorists who can apply for a discount include:
- Residents within the zone
- Blue Badge holders
- Breakdown vehicles
- Ultra-low emission vehicles under 3.5 tonnes that produce under 75g/km of CO2
- Motor tricycles that are one metre or less wide
- Roadside recovery vehicles
