Drivers in central London face a higher congestion charge from today as the fee increases to £18.
January brings a major change for drivers as they will now have to pay £18 daily to enter the zone in inner London. And the charge will now apply to all vehicles, although EV drivers can get a discount.
The Transport for London congestion charge increased today, January 2, as part of measures to reduce traffic congestion and boost sustainable travel. TfL said around 2,200 extra cars would be on the roads every day if the congestion charge was not increased.
London has been crowned Europe’s most gridlocked city, and the capital lost an estimated £3.85 billion in 2024 due to congestion.
Who needs to pay congestion charge?
The congestion charge applies to roads marked with letter C signs in inner London, and drivers entering those areas are liable to pay the daily fee.
Owners of petrol and diesel vehicles have had to pay the fee since it was introduced more than 20 years ago.
How much is the congestion charge from today?
Petrol and diesel
The fee for petrol and diesel vehicles has gone up from £15 to £18. The daily congestion charge is £18 if paid on the day of travel or in advance, and £21 if paid within three days of the journey.
EVs
Drivers of EVs who sign up for Auto Pay with TfL can get a 25% discount and pay £13.50. Electric vans, HGVs and quadricycles can get 50% off if using Auto Pay.
To sign up for Auto Pay and get the discount, new drivers need to first register for a London Road User Charging account and set up Auto Pay.
EV drivers who don’t sign up for Auto Pay will have to pay the full £18 charge.m
From March 4, 2030, the EV Auto Pay discount will be reduced to 12.5% for electric cars.
Residents
Residents who are congestion charge discount holders can currently get a 90% discount, meaning they pay £1.80 daily.
Why does London have congestion charge?
London’s congestion was introduced in February 2003 by then-mayor Ken Livingstone following years of worsening traffic grinding London to a halt. At the turn of the millenium before the charge, the average traffic speed in London was less than 8mph.
The congestion charge was originally £5, meaning it has now more than tripled. The previous congestion charge rise was in June 2020.
The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said the scheme has been ‘a huge success’ but it has to be kept ‘fit for purpose’ as conditions in the capital change.
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Metro readers had a mixed reaction when the latest increase was announced.
Chris Hutt said that London has ‘the best public transport’ in the UK and that it won’t be a problem ‘for the majority in the city.’
Simon Bennett said: ‘Majority of people paying are businesses, delivery drivers and the like but then the charge just gets added onto the goods so we all end up paying even if we don’t drive.’
Christopher Lilly said his clients will feel the rise as he will have to charge ‘extra per job to cover that extra cost.’
Cms Grant said: ‘This is wrong because London has become too expensive to live in.’
Is the Ulez charge changing?
There are no changes to the Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez).
Whereas the congestion charge targets the volume of traffic, Ulez aims to reduce pollution in the capital, and it covers the entire Greater London generally within the M25 after it expanded in August 2023.
The Ulez charge is £12.50 for vehicles which do not meet the emission standards.
TfL made around £194 million in Ulez income in a year since the scheme was expanded to the entire Greater London.
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