London congestion charge to rise?

08 August 2007

Congestion charge may link to CO2 output
Highest polluters will pay £25 a day
Residents driving high-polluting cars will suffer

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Owners of the highest-polluting cars will be charged £25 to enter London's congestion charge zone under new proposals from Transport for London.

The proposal, which is set to be outlined in a consultation document being issued this Friday, will link London's congestion charge to the carbon dioxide output of each car.

Models which emit 120g/km of CO2 or less will be exempt from the charge, whereas those which emit more than 225g/km will have to pay £25 a day to enter the zone.

A driver of a car emitting more than 225g/km of CO2 could pay up to £1696 a year in charges now, but this will rise to £5300 if the proposals are given the go-ahead.

Most other cars and commercial vehicles will pay £8 daily, which is the same as the current rate.

However, the proposals will force owners of some low-emission hybrids to start paying the charge, as only cars with the latest Euro IV-compliant engines will qualify for exemption.

In addition, the 90% discount for families living within the charging zone will be dropped if they drive a car emitting more than 225g/km of CO2. At present they pay around £170 a year, which would rise to £5300 under the plans.

Truck drivers who meet Euro V standards would qualify for a £2 a day discount, but bio-ethanol machinery will not receive any charge exemption because the scheme will operate purely on CO2 emission rates.

The proposals have met with a mixed response, with the Society of Motor Manufactures and Traders vowing to push for a rethink on what it describes as 'totally disproportionate proposals'.

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