page_title: Road pricing
section_title: United Kingdom
hierarchical_section_title: Road pricing / Example schemes / Europe / United Kingdom
context_page_description: Road pricing are direct charges levied for the use of roads, including road tolls, distance or time based fees, congestion charges and charges designed to discourage use of certain classes of vehicle, fuel sources or more polluting vehicles. These charges may be used primarily for revenue generation, usually for road infrastructure financing, or as a transportation demand management tool to reduce peak hour travel and the associated traffic congestion or other social and environmental negative externalities associated with road travel such as air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, visual intrusion, noise and road traffic collisions.
  In most countries toll roads, toll bridges and toll tunnels are often used primarily for revenue generation to repay for long-term debt issued to finance the toll facility, or to finance capacity expansion, operations and maintenance of the facility itself, or simply as general tax funds. Road congestion pricing for entering an urban area, or pollution charges levied on vehicles with higher tailpipe emissions are typical schemes implemented to price externalities.
context_section_description: The Smeed Report recommended the implementation of congestion charging in 1964 and road pricing for London was considered by the Greater London Council in 1973 but was not progressed. The Durham City congestion charge was introduced in 2002 and the London congestion charge in 2003.
  In June 2005, Transport Secretary Alistair Darling announced a proposal for a national scheme in which every vehicle would be fitted with a satellite receiver that would calculate charges, with prices (including fuel duty) ranging from 2p per mile on uncongested roads to £1.34 on the most congested roads at peak times. The scheme was dropped after an online petition against proposals gained over 1.8 million signatures. A number of local schemes were then proposed and rejected during 2007-2008, including the Manchester congestion charge Planned emissions based charges in London cancelled following the 2008 Mayoral election. A 'Western Extension' was added to the London scheme in 2007 but then removed in January 2011. The London low emission zone was introduced in stages between 2008 and 2012 with an aim of reducing the pollution emissions of diesel-powered commercial vehicles in London. UK wide road pricing for large goods vehicles, which was first proposed in 2000 before being dropped and then revived in 2012.
  Approved by Mayor Boris Johnson in April 2013, the Ultra Low Emission Discount (ULED) went into effect on 1 July 2013, substituting the Greener Vehicle Discount. The ULED introduced more stringent emission standards that limited the free access to the congestion charge zone to electric cars, some plug-in hybrids, and any car or van that emits 75g/km or less of CO₂ and meets the Euro 5 emission standards for air quality. The measure was designed to curb the growing number of diesel vehicles on London's roads. The owners of vehicles registered for the Greener Vehicle Discount were granted a three-year sunset period before they have to pay the full congestion charge. The sunset period ended on 24 June 2016.
  A new toxicity charge, known as T-charge will be introduced from 23 October 2017. Older and more polluting cars and vans that do not meet Euro 4 standards will have to pay an extra £10 charge on top of the congestion charge to drive in central London, within the Congestion Charge Zone (CCZ). The charge typically applies to diesel and petrol vehicles registered before 2006, and the levy is expected to affect up to 10,000 vehicles.
  London Mayor Sadiq Khan announced the introduction of the scheme on 17 February 2017 after London achieved record air pollution levels in January 2017, and the city was put on very high pollution alert for the first time ever, as cold and stationary weather failed to clear toxic pollutants emitted mainly by diesel vehicles. The Mayor also announced plans to expand the London ultra low emission zone (ULEZ) beyond Central London a year earlier than planned in 2019. Motor vehicles that do not meet the emissions criteria would be charged from £12.50 upwards a day to enter central London. Drivers would not pay both the ULEZ and the new £10 T-charge, and the latter will not apply to taxis.
caption: Current boundary of the London congestion charge zone (CCZ).
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