Everyone has been aware of the new tolls that are set to take place in London; the tolls instituted by former Mayor Boris Johnson. However, the new mayor Sadiq Khan has rolled forward the date by which motorists should become compliant and now the target date to be aware of is not in the year 2020 but rather one year earlier in 2019. In an effort to stop the city from raising tolls, citizens approached City Hall who flatly refused to consider ruling out the motorist charge which could total £34 per day in Central London if all conditions were met.
Mr Khan says it is unlikely that anyone would actually pay that much because the total is actually 3 different tolls but if one car meets all conditions they will be charged the maximum fees. Looking at the tables the government provided, very few cars in fact meet all of those conditions so most don’t need to worry over either the new date or paying all three.
How to Avoid the Tolls
Before you begin worrying how to pay those exorbitant tolls, you should really understand exactly what the tolls mean. According to Mr Khan, those tolls are simply in place to encourage motorists to take steps now before the rollout of the Ultra Low Emission Zone. This is where some of the confusion is taking place. Not only does the year of your car come into play but also the type of fuel it uses. Some motorists are already checking out sites like www.yourparkingspace.co.uk to secure spots outside the Congestion Zone so that they can avoid those heavy tolls in Central London when they begin.
In addition, it’s worth reviewing www.tfl.gov.uk to see if you can quality for a discount or an exemption.
Current Tolls Already Too High for Some
Motorists are already complaining that the T-Charge of £11.50 per day to drive in Central London is way too high. Some of these motorists need to get to work in that area and some use their vehicle in the line of what they do so they aren’t happy about the need to pay a toll that they feel is unfair. If those drivers have a diesel vehicle that was registered prior to 2015, they will face a charge that is £12.50 more. This is called the ULEZ charge.
When the new tolls roll out, the £11.50 will most likely remain the same but the additional tolls will be added on top of that. When the new tolls roll out, it will be evident what you need to pay based on the first two digits of your licence tag. These will be the identifiers that alert motorists and officials alike whether or not that driver owes an additional toll.
With the possibility of paying so much to drive in Central London, most motorists are already making plans to find parking just outside the Ultra Low Emission Zone or are seeking public transport routes to get to and through the area. As both Boris Johnson (former mayor) and Sadiq Khan explain, all this is in an effort to clean up the air in London. Neither commented on the current £11.50 toll or whether the future added tolls will solve the problem.
