London's Congestion Charge changes set to come into force

Date: 21/5/2013

A raft of changes to London's Congestion Charge system began to take effect on Monday 20th May, with an increase in the penalty charge for non-payment being just one of the measures introduced by Mayor Boris Johnson.

Under the new scheme, motorists who fail to pay the standard £10 daily fee will now incur a fine of £130 - a £10 rise on the previous figure - while drivers will no longer be able to pay the Charge at shops and petrol stations.

According to (TfL) Transport for London, the decision to raise the penalty to £130 is designed to bring the charge "in line with other moving traffic, bus lane and parking penalty charges within London" - and it is only the third time the fine has increased since the introduction of the Congestion Charge more than a decade ago.

In addition to this alteration, it was announced that the adjustments to the (GVD) Green Vehicle Discounts and (EVD) Electric Vehicle Discounts are set to come into force from July 1st, when the newly formatted (ULED) Ultra Low-Emission Discount will replace the old schemes.

While the fresh initiative will require vehicles to meet stricter standards in order to be exempt from the Charge - they will need to be either purely electric, or emit 75g/km or less of CO2 and meet the Euro 5 emission standard for air quality - there will be a sunset periods for motorists currently benefitting from the GVD and EVD programmes.

This will last until June 24th 2016, at which point drivers will either have to qualify for the ULED or begin paying the Charge.

However, people looking to benefit from the ULED sooner can apply for the scheme from July 1st, while drivers can still submit applications for the EVD and GVD until June 28th.

Lastly, those who currently pay the Congestion Charge should note that they will no longer be able to do so at shops and petrol stations from July 26th.

Posted by Sarah Bailey

Transport Research News and Vehicle Safety News