After being announced back in February, the London T-Charge has today been introduced. It is thought up to 10,000 older vehicles will be affected each day in the capital, with the intention to reduce the number of polluting vehicles on the road.
The charge will mean that any vehicles that do not meet Euro 4 emissions standards for nitrogen oxide (NO2) and particulates will be liable to an extra £10 levy on the existed congestion payment. Most vehicle affected will have been registered earlier than 2006, but some up to those manufactured up to 2008 could be liable to pay the charge. All of central London north of Elephant and Castle, south of King’s Cross station, east of Hyde Park, and to the west of the Tower of London is covered by the charge.
Drivers can reduced their total daily charge by £1 if they pay automatically and those living within the zone will see their overall charge rise to just £11.05 in total if they are liable for both payments.
The Transport For London (TFL) website now has a free service to help drivers check if their vehicle will mean they have to fork out for the extra charge - T-Charge checker
London Mayor Sadiq Khan spoke to confirm the charge,
“As mayor, I am determined to take urgent action to help clean up London’s lethal air. The shameful scale of the public health crisis London faces, with thousands of premature deaths caused by air pollution, must be addressed,”
“Today marks a major milestone in this journey with the introduction of the T-charge to encourage motorists to ditch polluting, harmful vehicles.
“London now has the world’s toughest emissions standard with older, more polluting vehicles paying up to £21.50 a day to drive in the centre of the city. This is the time to stand up and join the battle to clear the toxic air we are forced to breathe.”
It's thought that Londoners are subjected to on average 25% higher levels of NO2 pollution than people outside of the city due to the number of busy roads close to housing.
Do you think the charge is a good idea? Would you like to see something similar introduced in other cities?
