Transport for London (TfL) has suggested increasing the Congestion Charge by 20% to £18.

Starting on January 2, the current daily fee of £15 for drivers operating in central London will be raised, marking the first adjustment since June 2020 when the charge surged by 30% from £11.50.

Drivers who fail to pay the charge within 48 hours will incur a penalty of £180, which may be reduced to £90 if settled within 14 days. The charge is in effect from 07:00 to 18:00 on weekdays and from 12:00 to 18:00 on weekends.

Currently, electric vehicle users can travel within the zone without charge, but they anticipated starting to pay the full fee by December. Instead, they will now benefit from a 25% discount if they are enrolled in the auto pay system. Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) will enjoy a 50% discount.

TfL is also considering implementing annual fare increases in alignment with public transport costs, which typically rise with inflation.

According to City Hall, if these changes are not enacted, an additional 2,200 vehicles would enter the zone each weekday, while TfL states that the hike would effectively manage traffic and congestion in central London.

London continues to hold the title of having the most congested roads in Europe for the fourth consecutive year.

Starting in March 2027, applications for new discounts for resident petrol and diesel vehicle owners will be completely eliminated, with a public consultation set to conclude on August 4.

At present, these drivers do not incur any fees to access central London.

Beginning in January, electric car owners registered for auto pay will pay £13.50 a day (reflecting the 25% discount), while HGVs and certain quadricycles will pay £9 (a 50% reduction).

By March 2030, the discounts will drop to 25% for electric vehicles and 12.5% for quadricycles.

TFH had previously announced intentions to remove the Congestion Charge exemption for electric vehicles altogether.

Nevertheless, a recent report by Stonehaven Global cautioned that eliminating the electric vehicle discount could “reverse years of progress in improving air quality and potentially lead to an 11% increase in nitrogen oxides across central London.”

Oliver Lord, head of UK strategy for Clean Cities and a critic of the proposed elimination of the electric vehicle exemption, characterized the revised proposals as a “well-rounded package” and noted that the mayor had taken feedback into account.

From March 2027, the residents’ discount will no longer be available to new applicants driving non-electric vehicles.

Currently, residents with non-electric cars enjoy a 90% discount on the Congestion Charge.

TfL has stated, “Those who are already registered for the discount before this deadline will not face changes, acknowledging their dependence on their existing mode of transport.”

Drivers of older, more polluting vehicles are currently charged £12.50 to operate anywhere within the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), which expanded to encompass all of London’s boroughs in August 2023.

With the new modifications, driving one of these vehicles in central London will cost a total of £30.50 daily.

Additionally, using the Silvertown or Blackwall tunnels will incur charges of up to £4 in each direction during peak hours.

The introduction of a charge for driving in central London first occurred on February 17, 2003, under Mayor Ken Livingstone, with an initial cost of £5, which was paid by 57,000 drivers by midday of its launch.

A western expansion of the zone to areas like Kensington and Notting Hill, initiated in 2007, was revoked four years later.

By 2011, the charge had increased to £10 and received an additional £1.50 increment in 2014.