London congestion charge rises to £15 a day and extends to 7 days a week

A 30% rise in London’s congestion charge and extension in its hours of operation from 7am to 10pm, seven days a week, have come into force today.

Transport for London (TfL) said the temporary measures are being introduced under the terms of its £1.6bn bailout by the government.

The daily fee for driving a car into the centre of the capital will rise from £11.50 to £15.

Charges were previously enforced from Monday to Friday between 7am and 6pm, but will be extended to between 7am and 10pm, seven days a week.

TfL says car traffic in the charging zone is already back to pre-coronavirus pandemic levels, and roads will become “unusably congested” if no action is taken as lockdown restrictions are eased further.

It believes the changes being made could reduce car trips by a third and encourage more people to make journeys by walking or cycling.

A scheme which reimburses NHS staff making additional journeys in the zone as part of their role in tackling the pandemic is being extended to include more people, such as ambulance workers and care home staff.

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Last month, TfL secured the government bailout, consisting of a £1.1bn grant and a £505m loan, after the coronavirus pandemic caused its fares income to fall by 90%.

But London Mayor Sadiq Khan said it wasn’t the deal he wanted for Londoners, warning that conditions of the bailout would mean that public transport users would be hit by fare increases and restrictions on free travel.

Mr Khan accused the Department for Transport (DfT) of “making ordinary Londoners pay the cost for doing the right thing on COVID-19”.

The DfT said the rescue package meant TfL would be able to increase bus and Tube service levels “as soon as possible to ensure people can follow social distancing guidelines while on the network”.

(c) Sky News 2020: London congestion charge rises to £15 a day and extends to 7 days a week