Gas thirsty cars punished with £5,000 Congestion charge

Soon all band G cars entering the congestion charge zone will pay £25. The price spike is fuelled under the new and long anticipated plans to target the most polluting vehicles, in an urban attempt to tackle climate change.

The strategy, condemned in Kensigton and Chelsea, concerns vehicles of Band G, producing more than 225 gramms/km of CO2. TFL’s view on the charges remains over generalised and unfocused. “The proposed new charges would apply only to the largest and most polluting vehicles. The overwhelming majority of these are in Band G. Some of the worst examples produce two or three times as much greenhouse gases as the average family car”. TFL argues the plan’s mere intention is to encourage people to drive less-polluting vehicles.

Furthermore, the new legislation will “nick” motorists, residenting within the charging zone, of their discount and the price will inevitably rise from 80p to £25. This will affect around 19,000 people currently registered for the congestion charge resident's discount. On the other hand, least polluting vehicles in bands A and B are rewarded with a 100 per cent discount.

Transport for London will earn an extra £100m a year and spokesman Nigel Wonnacott expressed his certainty that measures “Will eventually be extended to all of London so motorists all over the capital should beware”. Unfortunately, claims that the higher charge will affect larger families who needed to use bigger cars and would make very little difference to the environment remain unchallenged. Council deputy leader Daniel Moylan said it was 'spiteful', adding: “The Mayor is suggesting that one person would pay 30 times more than their neighbour with a slightly less polluting car.”

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