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Proposed Congestion Charge Changes to Look Out For

03 September 2018

​It’s always a blessing to have a company vehicle that you can utilise for personal use. Driving into Central London can prove more efficient than unexpected delays on national railways, although this does come at a price. If you’ve ever driven up into town during the week, you’d know the pain of paying £11.50 every time you pass into the congestion charge zone between 7am and 6pm.

Transport for London (TFL) has announced plans to tighten the exemption for private hire vehicles (PHVs) from the Congestion Charge, with effect from April 8, 2019. The Congestion Charge was first launched in 2003, since then there has been a 30% decrease of vehicles entering the zone. The tighter regulation on the scheme next year will come to tackle the issues of London’s toxic air and extreme congestion in peak hours.

London’s incentive for drivers to comply with these rules more effectively was the introduction of the ‘Ultra Low Emission Discount’, which applies to cars or vans that meet the Euro 5 standard of air quality. In other words, any vehicle that emits 75g/km or less of CO2 will fall into this category. The first phase of these changes to the scheme would mean that only zero-emission capable vehicles would avoid the Congestion Charge.

If that wasn’t enough, by the time 2021 arrives Transport for London will be introducing the Congestion Charge’s cousin, the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). The ULEZ will be implemented to replace the Emissions Surcharge. This will be operated 24/7, every day of the year within the same zone as the traditional Congestion Charge, although from 25 October 2021, the area will be expanded to the inner London area bounded by the North and South Circular roads. 

If you drive a lorry, van, bus, minibus or other specialist vehicle and it currently meets the Low Emission Zone emissions standards, it may not meet the new ULEZ standards in future. Marshall Leasing is happy to provide CO2 advice and has worked with the Energy Saving Trust scheme set up by the government.  It is important to remember that from vehicle manufacturer to vehicle user, all actions taken to reduce CO2 emissions are vital for encouraging a greener community. For more information on how we at Marshall Leasing can advise you, please visit our Green Policy page.

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