London’s Congestion Charge must be reformed in the short term and ultimately replaced with road pricing to effectively tackle the impact of vehicles on congestion.

The overall annual cost to London from traffic delays on busy roads has risen 30% in the last two years.

That’s the finding of a new report that also recommends a Workplace Parking Levy in the Capital.

According to the ‘London Stalling’ report by the London Assembly Transport Committee report, urgent change is needed as congestion continues to rise.
Latest figures show the overall annual cost to London from traffic delays on busy roads has risen 30% in the last two years to £5.5bn (£4.2bn in 2012/13). The cost of delays for an average vehicle is £20.83 per hour.

The report calls for urgent reform of the Congestion Charge, replacing the daily flat rate with a charging structure that sets the highest charges on vehicles in the zone at peak times and also reflects the amount of time they are in the zone.

The report also recommends a pilot of a local Workplace Parking Levy along with moves to reduce restrictions on night-time deliveries, pilot a ban on personal deliveries for staff, reconsider ‘click and collect’ at Tube and rail stations.

Caroline Pidgeon, chair of the London Assembly Transport Committee, said: “Something dramatic has to be done about the enormous congestion problem on London’s roads. The issue is costing our city money and costing Londoners their health and wellbeing. Transport for London (TfL) is doing a lot to tackle congestion, but not enough. Road pricing would be a fairer approach, as road users would pay according to how much they contribute to congestion.

“Gridlocked London needs to start moving again and tinkering here and there is not going to achieve that. A total rethink about who uses our roads and how is imperative to get the veins and arteries of our great city flowing freely again.”

Anna Hislop, lawyer at environmental legal group ClientEarth – which recently won its High Court air pollution case against the Government, added: “This is an important report that highlights the need to reduce congestion in our city. It shows that we need to reduce the number of vehicles clogging up our roads to not only boost London’s economy but to also clean up our toxic air. That’s why we need an Ultra Low Emission Zone alongside measures to reduce congestion to ensure cleaner air for all Londoners by taking the dirtiest diesel vehicles off the road.”