TfL propose rise in congestion charge to £18 a day

London has been named the most congested city in Europe for five years in a row; Photograph: Wikimedia Commons/ Mike Malone

Increase planned for January 2026

Transport for London (TfL) has announced it wants to increase the Congestion Charge from the current £15 to £18 from next January.

On Tuesday (27 May) they launched a public consultation lasting until Monday 4 August, to look into increasing the cost of congestion charge. The 20% price jump proposed would be the first rise since June 2020, when it was put up from £11.50 to its current charge of £15 a day.

Seb Dance, Deputy Mayor for Transport, said the change was vital to manage traffic in the capital:

“Sticking to the status quo would see around 2,200 more vehicles using the congestion charging zone on an average weekday next year.

“Keeping London moving by reducing congestion is vital for our city and for our economy”.

London is most congested city in Europe, according to data analysts INRIX and one of the top five most congested cities in the world, according to their Global Traffic Scorecard published in January.

Drivers are losing 101 hours sitting in congestion, a two percent increase in delays from 2023, with a total cost to London of £3.85 billion, averaging £942 per driver.

The Congestion Charge was introduced in 2005 by the first Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, when it was set at £5 a day.

Along with the ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ) fee of £12.50, the new proposal would mean owners of non-compliant cars would be paying £30.50 a day to drive into central London.

Electric car charging point in Russell Square (Flickr/ Matt Brown)

Electric vehicles

Currently, all electric vehicles are exempt from paying any Congestion Charge. TfL’s new proposals would see this end in January 2026.

Drivers of electric cars who register for auto pay would still receive a 25% discount on their daily rate, while drivers of electric vans and HGVs would be eligible for a 50% reduction.

The aim of this discount, they say, is to incentivise the switch to electric for trips where public transport, walking, or cycling are not viable options.

Izzy Romilly, a campaigner for climate charity Possible supports the change:

“We’ve got to look for the best and fairest ways to discourage unnecessary car trips, while also making sure that people who need to drive can switch to fully electric vehicles”.

The congestion charge has been in place since 2005 (Wikimedia Commons/ Mario Roberto Duran Ortiz)

Residents of central London to lose their discount on petrol vehicles

Residents of central London, who live inside the Congestion Zone, are currently able to apply for a 90% discount to the daily rate.

Although the 90% figure will stay the same, from March 2027 TfL proposes the discount should only apply to electric vehicles. Other residents within the Congestion Charge zone would lose their exempt status.

Michael Lloyd, the infrastructure champion of the Federation of Small Businesses said many businesses “will not be able to absorb these extra costs”.

“The mayor should immediately reconsider the excessive increase and make it more palatable to struggling small firms. We urge the mayor to maintain a zero charge for small van users,” he added.

Sophie O’Connell, a policy adviser at the Green Alliance, said these changes should help incentivise people to make greener choices:

“New measures send a clear signal: driving a polluting vehicle through central London should not be cheaper than taking public transport, making the cleaner choice the obvious one”.

TfL is encouraging Londoners to have their say on the proposals, and complete a survey before Monday 4 August.