Mayor to ask TfL to consult on £8 congestion charge 30-11-2004 450 The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, today announced that he will be asking Transport for London to consult on an increase of the congestion charge from £5 to £8 for private cars, but only to £7 for commercial fleet vehicles. There will also be new measures to reduce the `hassle’ of paying the charge including a 15% reduction for monthly and annual payments. The Mayor is keen to maintain and build upon the significant traffic benefits that have arisen so far from the central London scheme. However, in time these benefits will be eroded if the value of the charge remains the same. Increasing the charge would have direct benefits for road users both within and outside the charging zone, in terms of further reductions in congestion. Furthermore, it would have substantial indirect benefits by generating an additional £50 million per annum that would be invested in measures to reduce congestion across London. Measures proposed to accompany the increase in charge include: Discounts of some 15 per cent for monthly and annual payments - 40 days uncharged for annual payments and three days uncharged for monthly payments. The threshold for participation in the fleet scheme to be reduced from 25 vehicles to 10 by the end of December 2004. Cars to be allowed on the automated fleet scheme in addition to commercial vehicles. Daily charge for vehicles on automated fleet scheme to be £7. Late payment (10pm to midnight) to be frozen at £10. Reduced charges when changing vehicle details. Three uncharged days at Christmas. More petrol stations where you can pay the charge. The Mayor said: \'The congestion charge has been an unprecedented success in dramatically reducing congestion, pollution and accidents. The reliability of bus services has been transformed by the fall in traffic. We need to maintain and build upon this. \'I am proposing one large increase in this Mayoral term to maintain the effectiveness of the charge and raise additional revenues to further reduce congestion as part of Transport for London\'s £10 billion, 5 year investment programme.\' Notes to Editors Recent and ongoing changes: 3 uncharged days at Christmas Improved roadside signage Increased public information campaign More credit cards accepted Automated fleet scheme threshold reduced from 25 to 10 vehicles Further changes proposed for consultation: Daily congestion charge to increase to £8 Monthly payment to receive 3 uncharged days, excluding residents of the zone Annual payment to receive 40 uncharged days, excluding residents of the zone Late payment (10pm to Midnight) to be frozen at £10 Automated fleet scheme to allow cars Notification fleet scheme to be phased out Reduce £5 administration charge for changing your car to £2.50 Potential effects of the proposed charge increase are: An additional 5-13% cut in congestion within the charging zone An additional £50-60 million net revenue per annum Additional net London-wide transport benefits of some £20-60 million per annum Quicker and more reliable journeys for drivers and bus passengers Lower emissions Fewer accidents. These proposed changes would be the subject of full public consultation. The earliest the proposed charge increase could be introduced would be July 2005.