Transport for London announce plan to increase congestion charge by 15%

Transport for London is consulting on increasing the standard daily charge from £10 to £11.50 which they say will generate an estimated £84 million of additional revenue by the end of 2017/18.

RAC head of external affairs Pete Williams said: “A 15% increase in the congestion charge will significantly impact London motorists who already pay heavily for using their cars in the capital. At the current rate of £10 per vehicle per day the charge already acts as a deterrent to unnecessary journeys and this will be seen as just another way to extract cash from hard-pressed motorists.

“The charge has not increased since 2011 but then it jumped 25% from £8 to £10 which begs the question do motorists not deserve a more measured approach to increases? This is an above-inflation hike which will be felt more by those on lower incomes who are often more reliant on their cars for work and family life. This will also have a significant effect on small businesses which have no option but to drive into the capital.”