Currently reading: London congestion charge returns with 30% price hike

Daily fee increased from £11.50 to £15 to fund a £1.6bn bailout programme for Transport for London

London’s congestion charge will come back into effect from Monday 18 May following a two-month suspension, with daily rates increased from £11.50 to £15 from 22 June. 

The 30% price hike has been confirmed as Mayor of London Sadiq Khan secures a £1.6 billion bailout for a struggling Transport for London (TfL) in light of significantly reduced passenger numbers throughout the coronavirus pandemic. 

London’s congestion and ULEZ charges were suspended on 23 March - when the government imposed a nationwide ‘stay at home’ directive - in order to help key workers travel safely across the city. It is being reintroduced as part of a number of conditions imposed upon Sadiq Khan in return for the bailout, which entails TfL taking on £505 million of debt. 

From 22 June, the congestion charge will be enforced seven days a week, as opposed to just on weekdays, with operating hours extended from 6pm to 10pm. 

The 24/7 ULEZ charge will also come back into force on Monday, but the daily fee for drivers of older, more polluting vehicles remains fixed at £12.50. 

Public transport fares across London will rise 1% above inflation in January as part of a drive to recoup lost revenue from the coronavirus pandemic, which is estimated to total around £4bn by the end of the financial year.

Now that the government has begun the gradual process of easing the lockdown, it is considering ways of maintaining social distancing to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Yesterday (14 May), transport secretary Grant Schapps said that avoiding public transport at this time is a "civic duty" and advised people to drive, cycle or walk to work wherever possible. 

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Felix Page

Felix Page
Title: Deputy editor

Felix is Autocar's deputy editor, responsible for leading the brand's agenda-shaping coverage across all facets of the global automotive industry - both in print and online.

He has interviewed the most powerful and widely respected people in motoring, covered the reveals and launches of today's most important cars, and broken some of the biggest automotive stories of the last few years. 

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Zeddy 17 May 2020

Well Autocar

Who knew you'd get the Mail and Guardian letters pages rolled into one when you opened this article up for comments?

lambo58 16 May 2020

He needs the money to pay the

He needs the money to pay the 500 managers who earn more than 100K each for F**k only knows what.

Laughable

 

Citytiger 16 May 2020

lambo58 wrote:

lambo58 wrote:

He needs the money to pay the 500 managers who earn more than 100K each for F**k only knows what.

Laughable

 

For once we are in agreement. 

Citytiger 16 May 2020

Ah yes

Blame the Government for the failure of a Labour Lord Mayor in a City full of Labour MP's, you really couldnt make it up, Sadiq Khant forced to grovel to the Government for a bail out, despite having more than enough money to allow creatures like XR to bring the city to gridlock or allow years of anti Brexit protests, anti Government protests, anti Trump protestest, freeze the ticket prices for years and pay ridiculous wages. 

How much do tube drivers earn?

The average base pay of a Tube driver is £55,011 while night tube drivers earn around half of that as their position is part time.

During training, which lasts 12-16 weeks, trainee drivers earn £32,375 during their training,.

Drivers also get free travel around London for them and a partner, and can retire on a pension at the age of 50.

Overtime rates are around £36 an hour.

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However, it was revealed last year that some Tube drivers are paid more than £100,000 a year.

Documents released to the Sunday Times show the highest paid driver in the year to November received £103,374, while nine were paid upwards of £100,000.

The FoI responses, from Transport for London (TfL), showed that nine drivers were paid more than £100,000; another 30 made more than £80,000, and 100 were paid £70,000 to £80,000.

Most drivers, more than 3,000, were paid between £60,000 and £70,000, and 900 drivers - mainly part-timers or those who left during the year - received less than £60,000.

s tube drivers

NoPasaran 16 May 2020

Citytiger wrote:

Citytiger wrote:

...

dude, it is good that someone is getting paid, you should be happy about that!

Citytiger 16 May 2020

NoPasaran wrote:

NoPasaran wrote:

Citytiger wrote:

...

dude, it is good that someone is getting paid, you should be happy about that!

"Dude" what the f*** is this the 60's, yes millions are still being paid, some significantly more than they should be for the amount of work they do, and some significantly less, a tube driver on £50k when a Nurse is on £24k or a soldier is on £20k, or the checkout girl at Tesco on minimum wage makes perfect sense.  We can cope without the tube, its just slightly more difficult to commute in London, the rest of the country seems to cope without them, not so much nurses or shop workers. 

Then of course there are millionaires like Gary Lineker being paid a huge wage paid by Joe Public to talk bollocks about football.  

Or shall I stretch to the millions currently being paid 80% of their wage by a Government that some believe doesnt care.. 

Lets not forget the care home directors sat at home on big fat salaries, blaming the Government for not providing PPE for the care homes they are paid to run. 

Dude..