London Congestion Charge and ULEZ to Recommence

[Dippo]

The congestion charge will be back - but for more hours per day, and also at weekends:

Quote:

The London Congestion Charge and Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) will be reintroduced from Monday 18 May as Transport for London phases out emergency coronavirus measures.

Both charges were dropped on March 23 to help key workers get to work while avoiding public transport.

Car parking restrictions were relaxed during this period, too.

The Evening Standard reports the reintroduction of the charges comes two weeks earlier than planned.

The newspaper also says the Congestion Charge will be increased from £11.50 to £15 from June 22.

It will be enforced seven days a week, rather than only on weekdays, and operating hours in the evening will be extended from 6pm to 10pm.

The morning enforcement start-time of 7am will remain.

The changes follow the agreement of a £1.6 billion government support package for Transport for London, whose finances have been hit by a plunge in passenger numbers during the coronavirus crisis.

“Enormous challenges remain,” said London Transport Commissioner Mike Brown, “including agreeing longer term sustainable funding for transport in the capital.”

 

[Sam87]

Nice to see the government looking after motorists as always!

Does this mean that the free parking will also stop from the 17th of may? Reason I ask is because I've been parking my company car outside the house and I haven't gotten a ticket ( yet )

"The changes follow the agreement of a £1.6 billion government support package for Transport for London, whose finances have been hit by a plunge in passenger numbers during the coronavirus crisis."

Once they make this money back, will they reduce the prices again? I don't think so! Just another excuse to rip people off

 

[C240Sport97]

London buses have free for a few weeks. No need to touch in and you can’t board from the front doors. No doubt this contributed to the huge decline in revenues. Khan is using TFL as a political football, and deserves to be brought to heel by Whitehall.

 

[GeeJayW]

Well as TfL are strapped for cash, maybe Mr Kahn has found a solution....

 

[219]

The congestion charge will be back - but for more hours per day, and also at weekends:

Quote:

The London Congestion Charge and Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) will be reintroduced from Monday 18 May as Transport for London phases out emergency coronavirus measures.

Both charges were dropped on March 23 to help key workers get to work while avoiding public transport.

Car parking restrictions were relaxed during this period, too.

The Evening Standard reports the reintroduction of the charges comes two weeks earlier than planned.

The newspaper also says the Congestion Charge will be increased from £11.50 to £15 from June 22.

It will be enforced seven days a week, rather than only on weekdays, and operating hours in the evening will be extended from 6pm to 10pm.

The morning enforcement start-time of 7am will remain.

The changes follow the agreement of a £1.6 billion government support package for Transport for London, whose finances have been hit by a plunge in passenger numbers during the coronavirus crisis.

“Enormous challenges remain,” said London Transport Commissioner Mike Brown, “including agreeing longer term sustainable funding for transport in the capital.”

And they shall reap as they sow , when they find people will choose to avoid their city altogether, businesses will be starved of customers, and fewer people will want to live there .

Stupid is as stupid does

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

To be fair, the Government has always wanted to encourage people to take the tube and buses to work, rather than nasty old cars.

Well.... it did until recently....

Just one of many new taxes to force people to cough up the £300 billion they're spending on jumpstarting the Economy.

Increased fuel taxes and Road Fund Licence must surely follow.

(Some call it £300 billion. I prefer to think of it as £10,000 per tax payer)

 

[alabbasi]

So they're extending the congestion charge hours during the weekdays and adding the weekend even though hardly anyone is leaving their house due to a pandemic that's spreading like wildfire in London to encourage public transport? What i'd like to know is that if you're going to be charged to go through a neighborhood even though there's no congestion, can we drop the BS name and just call it for what it is? a tax.

I'm beginning to feel for this guy.

 

[Teego]

Well, that smooth old commie Sadiq Khan is showing his true colours. Tax the bastards to pay for City Hall stuff. Best way to kill commercial life (and business taxes) in any city.

 

[Screwdriver]

This is absurd! Congestion on weekends and after 6pm? Why even call it a congestion charge. Just call it a Sadiq charge.

Any way to fight this?

 

[Fununcle]

This was not instigated by sadiq Khan, the changes to the congestion charge is a condition from the government for the tfl bailout. I completely agree that the changes seem ludicrous in the current situation but people need to direct their ire at boris instead.

 

[GeeJayW]

This was not instigated by sadiq Khan, the changes to the congestion charge is a condition from the government for the tfl bailout. I completely agree that the changes seem ludicrous in the current situation but people need to direct their ire at boris instead.

If that is the case, then I agree, Boris et al have got this wrong.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

This was not instigated by sadiq Khan, the changes to the congestion charge is a condition from the government for the tfl bailout. I completely agree that the changes seem ludicrous in the current situation but people need to direct their ire at boris instead.

Isn't it because there's a £4 billion a year hole in TFL funding? Which is partly because buses are now "free" and partly because we continue to run empty buses through London (and outside my front door) all through the day and night.

Buses that people don't want to actually use, but which the son of a London bus conductor wants to run independent of any real world demand?

Anyone out in the 'Burbs will know that London's buses are far cheaper than their local bus services, which can be FOUR times as expensive for a single journey

‘Massively unfair’ gulf in bus fares between London and rest of England

Research reveals Londoners pay £1.50 for a single ticket but a five-mile journey in Hampshire can cost £5.65

www.theguardian.com

TfL set for £4bn loss as operator seeks government bailout

Transport for London (TfL) is on track for a £4bn loss this year as the capital’s transport operator continues to seek a bailout from the government.

www.cityam.com

(I'm a great fan of London buses, using them throughout the day to supplement my five mile a day walking addiction, but I can't understand why they run empty most of the day i.e. outside of the usual rush hours)

London buses have been running at a billion a year loss since Sadiq's arrival in 2016, when he cut bus fares so dramatically. He's using the CV19 story as an excuse to grab a central government subsidy.

London bus and tram 'hopper fare' expanded

Passengers can make unlimited bus and tram journeys in an hour for the price of a single fare.

www.bbc.co.uk

TfL facing near £1bn deficit next year after journey numbers fall

Budget cuts force London transport authority to ditch some of its tube upgrade plans

www.theguardian.com

Does it matter? Yes, it does really because London has sucked young people in from all over the UK because so many jobs have moved to London, and because it's cheaper to live without a car in London, than run a car to go to work in the Provinces.

 

[Fununcle]

Isn't it because there's a £4 billion a year hole in TFL funding? Which is partly because buses are now "free" and partly because we continue to run empty buses through London (and outside my front door) all through the day and night.

Buses that people don't want to actually use, but which the son of a London bus conductor wants to run independent of any real world demand?

Anyone out in the 'Burbs will know that London's buses are far cheaper than their local bus services, which can be FOUR times as expensive for a single journey

‘Massively unfair’ gulf in bus fares between London and rest of England

Research reveals Londoners pay £1.50 for a single ticket but a five-mile journey in Hampshire can cost £5.65

www.theguardian.com

TfL set for £4bn loss as operator seeks government bailout

Transport for London (TfL) is on track for a £4bn loss this year as the capital’s transport operator continues to seek a bailout from the government.

www.cityam.com

(I'm a great fan of London buses, using them throughout the day to supplement my five mile a day walking addiction, but I can't understand why they run empty most of the day i.e. outside of the usual rush hours)

London buses have been running at a billion a year loss since Sadiq's arrival in 2016, when he cut bus fares so dramatically. He's using the CV19 story as an excuse to grab a central government subsidy.

London bus and tram 'hopper fare' expanded

Passengers can make unlimited bus and tram journeys in an hour for the price of a single fare.

www.bbc.co.uk

TfL facing near £1bn deficit next year after journey numbers fall

Budget cuts force London transport authority to ditch some of its tube upgrade plans

www.theguardian.com

Does it matter? Yes, it does really because London has sucked young people in from all over the UK because so many jobs have moved to London, and because it's cheaper to live without a car in London, than run a car to go to work in the Provinces.

No its because it is a condition of the bailout.
The government has requested that buses and tubes run to get people to work, as you know that is the advice. Less public transport running means more crowding.
Really all is down to boris.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

No its because it is a condition of the bailout.
The government has requested that buses and tubes run to get people to work, as you know that is the advice. Less public transport running means more crowding.
Really all is down to boris.

Except that Saddiq hasn't changed the number of buses running. Because that would involving laying off people like his dad.

Saddiq simply kept running empty buses and stopped taking bus fares.

You can't blame this on the cackhanded NHS lockdown. TFL were already losing a billion a year.

It's particularly hilarious that while Central Government is telling people to use cars & bikes to get to work, avoiding the infection cesspit that is over-crowded public transport, London's Mayor is increasing the taxes on London car usage to seven days a week "because of Congestion."

 

[AMV]

I'm unhappy about the hours of operation being extended and now its including weekends.

At first when ULEZ was coming that was enough.... i guess not....

 

[GeeJayW]

Congestion charges start off as a means to manage congestion, like speed cameras were installed to reduce speed. Pretty soon they become cash cows and those in receipt of the funds depend on it for whatever it is they do. Effectively just another form of taxation.

 

[Fununcle]

Except that Saddiq hasn't changed the number of buses running. Because that would involving laying off people like his dad.

Saddiq simply kept running empty buses and stopped taking bus fares.

You can't blame this on the cackhanded NHS lockdown. TFL were already losing a billion a year.

It's particularly hilarious that while Central Government is telling people to use cars & bikes to get to work, avoiding the infection cesspit that is over-crowded public transport, London's Mayor is increasing the taxes on London car usage to seven days a week "because of Congestion."

Ok

 

[esscee]

Need to look at a few facts first. How long is the usual term for Mayor - 4 years. What happened after the present Mayor was elected - promised no fare increases for 4 years. Hoping that he would get elected again then if fares had to go up, blame the Govt as he could not blame the last mayor as it was him! Now the election for mayor has been postponed for a year, surprise surprise Tfl not going well plus obviously the Covid situation has not helped either.

 

[219]

This is absurd! Congestion on weekends and after 6pm? Why even call it a congestion charge. Just call it a Sadiq charge.

Any way to fight this?

Yes : don’t go to London

 

[219]

Isn't it because there's a £4 billion a year hole in TFL funding? Which is partly because buses are now "free" and partly because we continue to run empty buses through London (and outside my front door) all through the day and night.

Buses that people don't want to actually use, but which the son of a London bus conductor wants to run independent of any real world demand?

Anyone out in the 'Burbs will know that London's buses are far cheaper than their local bus services, which can be FOUR times as expensive for a single journey

‘Massively unfair’ gulf in bus fares between London and rest of England

Research reveals Londoners pay £1.50 for a single ticket but a five-mile journey in Hampshire can cost £5.65

www.theguardian.com

TfL set for £4bn loss as operator seeks government bailout

Transport for London (TfL) is on track for a £4bn loss this year as the capital’s transport operator continues to seek a bailout from the government.

www.cityam.com

(I'm a great fan of London buses, using them throughout the day to supplement my five mile a day walking addiction, but I can't understand why they run empty most of the day i.e. outside of the usual rush hours)

London buses have been running at a billion a year loss since Sadiq's arrival in 2016, when he cut bus fares so dramatically. He's using the CV19 story as an excuse to grab a central government subsidy.

London bus and tram 'hopper fare' expanded

Passengers can make unlimited bus and tram journeys in an hour for the price of a single fare.

www.bbc.co.uk

TfL facing near £1bn deficit next year after journey numbers fall

Budget cuts force London transport authority to ditch some of its tube upgrade plans

www.theguardian.com

Does it matter? Yes, it does really because London has sucked young people in from all over the UK because so many jobs have moved to London, and because it's cheaper to live without a car in London, than run a car to go to work in the Provinces.

It isn’t just London : last Monday I caught the Edinburgh-Glasgow train at Linlithgow since I had to go over to Glasgow to collect a works van . This was a mid afternoon train , so admittedly off peak . When I got on , the ten coach train appeared empty ; at Glasgow Queen street , where it terminated , one other passenger got off . And I was able to use my old farts bus pass to pay half price for the ticket ( free for journeys <10 miles ) . Railways everywhere must be running a huge loss .