London congestion charges

From today in London the Congestion Charge will temporarily increase to £15, operate 07:00-22:00 seven days a week and the residents’ discount will be closed to new applicants on 1 August.

These changes, claimed to be temporary, will reduce traffic in central London and enable more journeys to be made safely by foot or by bike while keeping the bus network reliable for those making essential journeys.

In a statement the Mayor and Transport for London (TfL) say the latest data shows that even with the Congestion Charge back in place and many people still working from home, there are as many cars in the zone as there were before the lockdown began.

“If traffic is allowed to continue to grow, roads will become unusably congested. Analysis indicates that as the Government further eases lockdown restrictions, if those who would have used public transport instead choose to drive, car traffic levels in central London could double without any changes to the Congestion Charge.

This would mean that there would not be space on streets to accommodate the increased levels of walking and cycling needed with effective public transport capacity by 13-20% of normal due to social distancing.”

Electric-powered vehicles are exempted, as are key workers as listed on the website.

https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/congestion-charge/discounts-and-exemptions

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