London to Introduce £10 Surcharge for High-Polluting Cars in City Centre
Pre-Euro 4 petrol and diesel vehicles face a new £10 daily charge from 2017, adding to the existing congestion fee in a bid to tackle air pollution.
Drivers of older petrol and diesel cars entering central London will face a new £10 daily charge from 2017, as part of mayor Sadiq Khan’s plan to cut the city’s persistent air pollution. The so-called T-Charge will apply to vehicles not meeting Euro 4 emissions standards, affecting many models registered before 2006.
The new charge comes on top of the existing £11.50 congestion charge, raising the cost for drivers of older, more polluting vehicles to £21.50 per day if they travel into the city centre during peak hours. The measure is aimed at reducing nitrogen oxide and particulate emissions, with London among Europe’s worst-performing cities for air quality.
Who will be affected by the T-Charge?
The T-Charge targets petrol and diesel cars, vans, minibuses and other vehicles that fail to meet Euro 4 standards. This covers most models registered before 2006. Owners of these vehicles who drive into the charging zone during operational hours will need to pay both the congestion and emissions surcharges. Commercial operators and private motorists with older vehicles will be most affected.
- Pre-Euro 4 petrol cars (mostly pre-2006)
- Pre-Euro 4 diesel cars (mostly pre-2006)
- Older vans, minibuses and commercial vehicles not meeting Euro 4
Further anti-pollution measures proposed
The T-Charge is part of a wider package. Sadiq Khan’s administration has proposed bringing forward the expansion of the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) by a year, to cover a larger area sooner than previously planned. Other proposals include introducing cleaner buses on the city’s most polluted routes and a diesel scrappage scheme offering incentives to replace older vehicles with cleaner alternatives.
The new charge is expected to encourage the switch to newer, cleaner vehicles and reduce the number of high-emitting cars in the city centre. It also signals a more aggressive stance on urban air pollution, with further restrictions likely as London seeks to meet international air quality standards.
For more on car-sharing and alternative urban mobility in London, see Car2go Launches Smart Car Sharing in London Boroughs
