£15 London Congestion Charge to continue

Transport for London has confirmed a ‘temporary’ increase in the cost of the London Congestion Charge to £15 a day will continue as part of an agreement with the government for a second extraordinary funding round of up to £1.7bn.

It previously cost £11.50.

However, plans to extend the Congestion Charge zone to the North and South Circular roads have been rejected by both the government and the Mayor of London. 

This would have seen around 4 million more Londoners paying the Congestion Charge. 

The Congestion Charge’s extended operating hours, to 10pm in the evening, will continue: previously, charges were lifted from 6pm.

The Congestion Charge still begins at 7am in the morning.

TfL has also confirmed the Congestion Charge will continue to operate during the weekends, too. Pre-Covid 19, it only operated during weekdays.

Christmas Day is now the only day on which charges are lifted. 

When it originally annunced the temporary changes in June 2020, TfL said they could see car journeys fall by a third and pollutants reduced by up to 11 percent.

Although many people now work from home, latest data suggests there are now as many cars within the Congestion Charge zone as before lockdown.

Without changes, TfL argues traffic levels in central London could double.

This is despite only 1 in 4 central London residents actually owning a car.

TfL also reminds motorists they still need to pay the London ULEZ charge on top of the Congestion Charge, if their vehicle is not a September 2015-on diesel or 2005-on petrol. 

London Congestion Charge prices

• Price increased from £11.50 to £15 (+30 percent)
• Evening hours extended from 6pm to 10pm
• Now operates during weekends

Congestion Charge reinbursements

An extension to the Congestion Charge reimbursement schemes was announced by London Mayor Sadiq Khan in the summer. 

NHS staff are already eligible for reinbursements: these have now been extended to staff at NHS Trusts, ambulance staff and those who work in care homes located within the zone. 

The NHS patient reimbursement scheme has been extended to include patients vulnerable to coronavirus. 

Local authorities and charities within the zone who are providing coronavirus-related support services can apply to the reimbursement scheme too. 

Click here to pay the London Congestion Charge

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