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The Mayor has announced Transport for
London will start a consultation on a scheme to charge the cars that
make the biggest contribution to global warming - such as the so-called
'Chelsea tractors', some high powered sports cars and expensive luxury
vehicles - up to £25 to drive in the present central London Congestion
Charging Zone. The zone covers parts of Westminster, and Kensington and
Chelsea.
Cars driving outside the present congestion charging zone will not be
affected. Within the congestion charging zone, the highest CO2
emitting cars, which represent just eight per cent of cars registered in
London, would face the higher £25 charge and lose their entitlement to
the residents’ discount. Some of the worst examples produce two or three
times as much greenhouse gases as the average family car.
The great majority of drivers within the zone would be unaffected and
the least polluting vehicles will receive a 100 per cent discount and
not pay any congestion charge at all.
The proposals are part of the Mayor's strategy to do everything possible
to reduce pollution and London's contribution to climate change.
The new charges would be as follows:
- Low-CO2 emitting cars -
100 per cent discount (£0). Includes cars in Vehicle Excise Duty (VED)
Bands A and B (less than 120g CO2 per km) which also meet
Euro 4 air quality standard
- The majority of cars - VED Bands
C, D, E and those in F with emissions up to 225g CO2 per
km – will continue to pay exactly the same daily charge as at
present - £8
- The highest CO2
emitting cars - VED Band G and equivalent vehicles (above 225g CO2
per km), as well as those registered pre March 2001 with engines
larger than 3,000 cc, will pay £25 a day
The SMMT has commented that the proposals
raise fundamental questions about the scheme's aims; is it to reduce
congestion, raise revenue, penalise drivers of larger cars or to cut
emissions?
It also means that families with
some seven-seater MPVs and estate cars could be hammered by up to £5,300
a year from February next year, compared to £1,696 now.
The worst news though comes for
families living within the zone. Currently, residents are eligible for a
90 per cent residents' discount on the £8 daily charge, meaning they pay
around £170 a year. Under the new proposals there will be no residents'
discount for owners of cars emitting more than 225 g/km CO2.
That means a bill of up to £5,130 a year more than they are paying now.
The consultation will start on 10
August and end on 19 October. The Mayor will keep an open mind on
the proposals until he has considered the responses to the consultation.
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