The fine for non-payment of the London Congestion Charge increased on Tuesday (January 2).
Transport for London (TfL) has increased the Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) from £65 to £80 or £130 to £160 for late payment, with a proposed rise for offences on TfL’s road network to follow later in the year, subject to Secretary of State review.
The Congestion Charge had played an important role in reducing the number of vehicles in central London, and fines for not paying the charge encouraged drivers to be compliant, said TfL.
But in the past five years there has been a 12% increase in the number of motorists being issued with Congestion Charge PCNs. The rise from around 1.3 million in 2011/12 to around 1.5 million in 2016/17 was a clear indicator that the effectiveness of the current PCN fine had reduced over time, said TfL. The fine increase is expected to encourage greater compliance.
Later this year, and subject to the required Secretary of State review, TfL is also proposing to increase PCNs for offences which take place on its road network.
More than a third of all London’s traffic uses TfL’s road network, often referred to as red routes, and vehicles that block roads, drive in bus lanes, park incorrectly or make banned turns, not only caused inconvenience to road users, but created hazards, particularly for pedestrians and cyclists, said TfL.