Urgent £40 Warning for Drivers Entering London Starting April 7
Drivers heading into London may face daily costs of up to £40 due to new tolls
London, UK, Tolls, Traffic, Commuters, Sadiq Khan
London: Commuters are in for a shock. Starting April 7, driving into London could cost you a pretty penny. The Blackwall Tunnel is introducing tolls for the first time in over a century.
On the same day, the new Silvertown Tunnel will open. Tolls will be £1.50 during off-peak hours and £4 during peak times. But that’s not all. Tory MP Louie French warns that some drivers might end up paying the tunnel toll, the £12.50 ultra-low emission zone charge, and a £15 congestion fee if their vehicle doesn’t meet ULEZ standards.
For larger vans, the tolls are even steeper, hitting £6.50 during peak hours. French is not happy about this and has started a petition urging Mayor Sadiq Khan to scrap the Blackwall toll altogether.
He argues that this toll is just another anti-driver move from Khan, adding to the already hefty charges many drivers face in Greater London. He estimates that some drivers could be shelling out over £40 a day just to get to work in central London, and that’s before they even think about fuel or parking costs.
Currently, around 100,000 vehicles pass through the Blackwall Tunnel daily without any charge. With these new tolls, some drivers might look for alternative routes, like the Rotherhithe Tunnel or the Dartford Crossing on the M25. But French warns that this could lead to even more congestion, especially since the Rotherhithe Tunnel is still toll-free for now.
He believes it’s only a matter of time before tolls are introduced there too, making the traffic situation even worse. While the new tolls are set to increase costs for commuters, Transport for London (TfL) argues they’re necessary to reduce congestion and improve air quality.
A TfL spokesperson mentioned that the Silvertown Tunnel will help make journeys quicker, potentially cutting up to 20 minutes off peak travel times. They also noted that without these charges, traffic levels would rise, leading to worse air quality and longer travel times.
To ease the burden on residents and businesses, there will be various discounts available, including a 50% reduction for low-income residents nearby. Plus, drivers can still use the Rotherhithe Tunnel and Woolwich ferry without paying a toll, and buses will be free for at least the first year.