Congestion Charge changes proposed, with £15 daily charge to remain, alongside shorter operating hours.

Despite the pandemic-inspired increased daily £15 Congestion Charge being temporary, it looks set to remain, with shorter hours.

In accordance with the condition in the Government’s first emergency funding agreement, TfL urgently brought forward proposals to temporarily widen the scope and level of the Congestion Charge in June 2020. The operational hours of the charge were temporarily extended to include evenings and weekends, and the charge was increased from £11.50 to £15.

TfL is today opening a consultation and seeking views on the future operation of the Congestion Charge. The main proposals include no charges in the evenings to support London’s recovery, operating between 12:00-18:00 on weekends and retaining the current charge level of £15.

The proposed new weekend charging hours are targeted at reducing congestion at the busiest times. Weekend car and private hire traffic before the pandemic was higher than during the week and made up 70% of traffic in the charging zone on a Saturday and Sunday. If the proposed new weekend hours are brought in, it is estimated there will be an increase in sustainable travel compared to before the pandemic, with around 8,000 new public transport trips and 3,000 walking and cycling trips each day on the weekend.

The plans also include the charge stopping at 18:00 on weekdays. This is in line with the pre-pandemic hours, rather than the current 22:00 finish time. Evening traffic data will be kept under review, given that weekday travel patterns in particular remain uncertain.