London changes the payment system for driving in the city centre

London has changed the way it manages the Congestion Charge. The most important change is that the 100% discount enjoyed by electric cars is disappearing. They will now pay according to a new rate that aims to create a more realistic regulation and that will have a greater impact on the number of vehicles that have to drive through the centre of the British capital.

The goal is not only to eliminate polluting emissions from London’s city centre, but also to regulate the level of traffic that occurs there. The aim is to combine the elimination of polluting gases with efficient traffic management. The charge for standard vehicles is set at 18 pounds. This is what they have to pay to enter the restricted congestion zone.

Electric cars linked to the Auto Pay service will pay 13.5 pounds, an attractive discount for users of these vehicles, who, although they still have to pay, do not pay the same amount as other vehicles. Vans and car-sharing fleets pay even less, as their charge is 9 pounds.

This situation is due to the increase in electric cars driving through central London. This has led to a rise in the number of vehicles moving through that area, which has proven quite counterproductive in terms of traffic volume. In this way, an attempt will be made to control the number of vehicles travelling through the centre and reduce their volume once again.

As for the times when the Congestion Charge applies, these remain unchanged. It will apply from Monday to Friday from 7:00 to 18:00, while on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays it applies from 12:00 to 18:00. Residents will only have to pay 1.8 pounds sterling per day, which represents a significant discount and will help them move more freely within this restricted zone.

This could set new trends in other European cities§h29§ and encourage other councils to follow this path, reducing the advantages that electric vehicles currently enjoy in many cities.