C-Charge Hours Could Be Cut

Mayor could reduce C-Charge operation to rush hours only

By Oli S / Monday, 7 July 2008 / Loading comments

London’s congestion charge could be limited to just a few hours a day, it has been reported. Mayor Boris Johnson is looking to overhaul the controversial scheme to make it fairer for motorists.

He is considering scrapping the unpopular West London extension of the the £8 charge and now wants to amend the times the charge is in place. Charges could be reduced to a few hours a day during the busiest periods and a flat-rate cost may be removed.

Quieter periods could warrant a discount and at some times during the day there may be no charge. Kulveer Ranger, the mayor’s director of transport, has told The Times newspaper that the information gleaned from a review of the western extension would be used to assess the entire system.

Currently any vehicle that moves inside the London zone between 7am and 6pm is charged but this could be amended just to target those who commute by car.

Mr Ranger said: ‘Flexibility around hours of operation, flexibility around how it is charged; all of those things are options we’re looking to consider. The mayor has been absolutely clear that he wants to make it fairer for people, not so much as a blunt tool, but something that’s a bit more well managed and gives people a bit more flexibility in terms of how it's operated. It would be about how you apply it to either the whole, or what would be the impact of applying it to parts.’