How is the London congestion charge administered?

The charge covers a 21km² area in London. It's a simple system: if you enter the zone between 7am and 6pm on a weekday, you pay a flat daily rate. The charge has risen gradually from £5 in 2003 to £11.50 today. Residents receive a 90% discount and registered disabled people can travel for free.

1. How do you know if you've entered the congestion charge zone?
2. How do you pay the congestion charge for London?
3. How is the congestion charge collected?
4. Where is the new congestion zone?
5. Where is the London congestion zone?
6. Does my car have to pay congestion charge?
7. Do I need to pay the London emission charge?
8. How long do you have to pay the congestion charge in London?
9. What car are ULEZ free?
10. What are the problems with the congestion charge?
11. What postcodes are in the London congestion zone?
12. How many cars enter the London congestion zone?

How do you know if you've entered the congestion charge zone?

If you've driven into the Congestion Charging zone there's no way to find out if your vehicle's number plate was recorded or not, other than wait to see if you get a letter or fine through the post.

How do you pay the congestion charge for London?

The Congestion Charge is a £15 daily charge if you drive within the Congestion Charge zone 07:00-22:00, every day, except Christmas Day (25 December). The easiest way to pay is by setting up Auto Pay. Exemptions and discounts are available too.

How is the congestion charge collected?

The automated payment system will record the number of charging days a vehicle travels within the charging zone each month and automatically take payment from your debit card, credit card or via direct debit each month. You can pay up to 90 days in advance. So, for example, you could pay for one day, a month or a year.

Where is the new congestion zone?

From 25 October 2021, ULEZ is expanding from central London to create a single larger zone up to the North Circular Road (A406) and South Circular Road (A205).

Where is the London congestion zone?

The current congestion charge zone covers the area within the London Inner Ring Road which includes both the City of London, which is the main financial district, and also the West End, which is London's primary commercial and entertainment centre.

Does my car have to pay congestion charge?

If you drive a conventional petrol or diesel car, or a non-plug-in hybrid (including mild hybrids), you will have to pay the Congestion Charge if you drive into central London during its hours of operation.

Do I need to pay the London emission charge?

Unless your vehicle is exempt, you'll need to pay a daily charge to bring it into Greater London. Pay the charge on the TfL website.

How long do you have to pay the congestion charge in London?

If you haven't paid the Congestion Charge when you should have, you'll be sent a Penalty Charge Notice for £160. You will need to pay this fine within 28 days. If you pay within 14 days, you will receive a 50% discount and will only have to pay £80.

What car are ULEZ free?

Is my business car exempt from ULEZ?

• Petrol cars. To avoid the ULEZ charge, petrol cars must meet Euro 4 emissions standards at the least. ...
• Diesel cars. Only Euro 6-compliant diesel cars are exempt from ULEZ charges. ...
• Hybrid and electric cars. All electric cars are exempt from ULEZ charges.

What are the problems with the congestion charge?

Expensive to Administer. The costs of collecting a congestion charge are much higher than petrol tax. It requires sophisticated technology and chasing up drivers who don't pay or try to avoid. For smaller cities, the administration costs may be prohibitive.

What postcodes are in the London congestion zone?

The congestion zone covers the following postcode area: EC1, EC2, EC3, EC4, SE1, SW1, W1, WC1 and WC2.

How many cars enter the London congestion zone?

This statistic depicts the number of unique vehicles that entered the London Congestion Charging zone during charging hours from January 2016 to January 2019. In January 2019, approximately 1.9 million unique vehicles entered the zone.
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