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“Toxicity” Charge

From 23rd October 2017 the owners of cars registered on and previous to 2006, will be charged an extra £10 to drive into London.

London’s Mayor, Saddiq Khan, announced that the “Toxicity charge” starting the beginning of the autumn half-term, will be in operation Mondays to Fridays from 7am to 6pm.

Drivers of older cars going into central London will now need minimum Euro emission standards or pay an extra daily charge. This will be in addition to the excising Congestion Charge and be known as the Emissions surcharge.

It is part of the Mayors scheme to clean up” London’s dangerously high levels of pollution”.

The Transport for London (TFL) has explained on their website the minimum emission standard for cars and vans is Euro 4.

Every weekday, around 10,000 old and polluting vehicles are expected to be liable for the new emissions levy and only five days into the New Year, London had already breached its whole 2017 limit.

The charge will not be for all drivers, there are obviously some exceptions to the rule:

 

  • Taxis and private hire vehicles (PHVs) are exempt from paying the Congestion Charge and the T-Charge when actively licensed with TFL. The exemption for PHVs only applies to private hire bookings.
  • Vehicles with a historic tax class (40 years and older) and/or commercial vehicles manufactured before 1973. These vehicles continue to be subject to the Congestion Charge
  • Two-wheeled motorbikes (and sidecars) and mopeds that are exempt from the Congestion Charge
  • Emergency service vehicles, such as ambulances and fire engines, which have a taxation class of ‘ambulance’ or ‘fire engine’ on the date of travel
  • NHS vehicles exempt from vehicle excise duty, and Ministry of Defence vehicles
  • Roadside recovery vehicles and accredited breakdown vehicles registered for a 100% discount from the Congestion Charge
  • Specialist off-road vehicles such as tractors and mobile cranes (that are exempt from Low Emission Zone)

 

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