How much is London’s congestion charge now and when is it set to change?

Sadiq Khan confirmed on June 17 that the Congestion Charge will be temporarily increased and apply to evenings and weekends.

The Congestion Charge is a daily fee for driving a vehicle within a zone in central London.

The charge was first introduced in 2003, when Ken Livingstone was Mayor of London.

It is aimed at reducing traffic on busy roads, and also lowering air and noise pollution, and raising funds for London’s transport system.

But from next Monday, the daily charge will temporarily rise by £3.50 and last for longer hours.

Here’s more information about the changes coming.

How much is London’s congestion charge now and how will it change?

The Congestion Charge is currently £11.50 each day, for driving a vehicle within the charging zone between 7am and 6pm Mondays to Fridays, excluding public holidays.

However, from Monday June 22, the hours will increase to 7am until 10pm, and the charge will be extended to the weekends as well.

The cost will also rise from £11.50 each day to £15 per day.

Mr Khan said the added charge could help lead to a “cleaner and greener” recovery from the coronavirus pandemic

It is hoped the new hours and higher levy could reduce exhaust emissions by 11 per cent, cut car journeys by a third, and make it safer to walk and cycle.

NHS workers and drivers of emergency vehicles, are already exempt from the charge, and this has been temporarily extended to home care workers, London Ambulance staff, and council and charity workers helping to combat the pandemic.

NHS patients who are “vulnerable to coronavirus” will also be exempt, although Mr Khan has rejected calls from his Tory mayoral rival Shaun Bailey to make police officers driving to and from work exempt.

“The reality is that due to social distancing requirements public transport can only carry a fraction of the number of passengers compared to pre-pandemic levels – even when we are back to running completely full services,” Mr Khan said.

“While capacity on the network needs to be preserved for those people who need it most, we can’t allow journeys that were previously taken on public transport to be replaced with car trips.”

TfL said: “These temporary changes will ensure the capital’s recovery from the pandemic is not restricted by cars and congestion.”

If you set up Auto Pay, the daily Congestion Charge payments can be cut by up to £1.