Thousands of drivers could be forced to pay expensive daily charges when major rule changes affecting London’s congestion charge system are introduced next year.
The Transport for London website states that only electric or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are eligible for the cleaner vehicle discount.
However, from 25 December 2025 the cleaner vehicle discount on the entry fee will be abolished.
From this date, all vehicle owners will have to pay to enter a congestion charging zone during the charging period, unless they qualify for another discount or exemption.
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Owners of electric vehicles will soon have to pay £15 per day in the area tolls
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Once the exemption expires, drivers will have to pay a standard daily charge of £15 if they drive in the zone between 7am and 6pm Monday to Friday, or between 12pm and 6pm at weekends.
The decision to remove the exemption has been met with opposition from drivers, motoring groups and organizations who say the decision could harm the roll-out of electric vehicles.
TfL said ending the exemption would “maintain the effectiveness of the congestion charge, which is in place to manage traffic and congestion in the heart of London,” the BBC reported.
The change is said to be part of TfL’s phased approach to improving road transport emissions in the capital and will work hand-in-hand with the ultra-low emission zone.
According to TfL figures, there are 112,318 cars and vans registered with cleaner vehicle exemptions, of which 15,782 are private hire vehicles.
The 12:00pm to 6:00pm opening hours also apply on public holidays, while between Christmas Day and New Year, drivers are exempt from paying the toll.
The discount originally cost drivers £10 to register for each vehicle that was eligible for the exemption, with renewal required every year.
A spokesman for Transport for London told GB News: “The Mayor and TfL have taken world-leading action to tackle the triple threats of air pollution, congestion and climate change.
“The introduction of ULEZs across London has led to dramatic improvements in air quality and more than 52,000 grants have been approved for Londoners, businesses and charities to switch to cleaner vehicles, with 70,000 fewer non-compliant vehicles now seen on London’s roads. .”
“The cleaner vehicle discount from the Congestion Charge was part of our step-by-step plan to tackle London’s toxic air problem.
“Ending the cleaner vehicle discount from 25 December 2025 will keep the congestion charge in place to manage traffic and congestion in the heart of London.”
Other exemptions will remain in place after December 25, including discounts for residents, blue badge holders, vehicles with nine or more seats, motorized tricycles, roadside recovery vehicles and accredited breakdown vehicles.
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Oliver Lord, from the environmental campaign Clean Cities, said the change was “mysterious” and added that incentives for businesses to switch to electric vehicles would be one of the best ways to combat the most polluting vehicles.
But Caroline Russell AM, leader of the City Hall Greens, said: “If every Londoner drives an electric car, we won’t solve congestion, air pollution or the climate crisis.
“The best solution to any concerns about the unfairness of changes like this is to move to smart and fair road user charging.”