London’s new T-Charge, which will be paid by drivers of the most polluting vehicles entering central London, will go live on October 23 this year, Mayor Sadiq Khan confirmed today.
The £10 per day charge will be levied on top of the Congestion Charge and will apply to vehicles which do not meet Euro 4 standards, meaning drivers will pay a total of £21.50 for entering the congestion charge zone.
City Hall and Transport for London estimate that around 10,000 drivers will be liable for the charge each day.
Mr Khan says the new levy will help improve air quality which contributes to the premature deaths of over 9,000 Londoners each year.
“To further clean up the capital’s air, the Mayor has already asked Transport for London to bring forward the introduction of the Ultra Low Emission Zone from 2020 to 2019.
Speaking on Friday, Mayor Khan said: “It’s staggering that we live in a city where the air is so toxic that many of our children are growing up with lung problems.
“If we don’t make drastic changes now we won’t be protecting the health of our families in the future.
“That is why today, on the 14th anniversary of the start of the congestion charge, I’ve confirmed we are pressing ahead with the toughest emission standard of any major city, coming to our streets from October 23rd .
“The T-Charge is a vital step in tackling the dirtiest diesels before I introduce the world’s first Ultra Low Emission Zone as early as 2019.”
The Mayor also repeated calls for government ministers to introduce a diesel scrappage scheme to help drivers move to cleaner vehicles and to bring in a new Clean Air Act.
Leon Daniels, TfL’s Managing Director of Surface Transport, said: “London’s air quality crisis is one of the biggest challenges we face and we are working alongside the Mayor to address it.
“The T-Charge is a crucial part of this work and will discourage drivers of the oldest, most polluting vehicles from driving in central London.”
