Business Travel News EuropeBusiness Travel News Europe
Business Travel News Europe
  • NEWSOpen Menu
    • Accommodation
    • Air Travel
    • Ground Transport
    • Management
    • Meetings
    • On the Move
    • Payment & Expense
    • Technology
    • TMC & Distribution
    • Travel Procurement
    • Recent Issues
  • FEATURESOpen Menu
    • View All Features
  • CONVERSATIONSOpen Menu
    • Interviews
    • Q&As
    • Columnists
    • Podcasts
    • VIEW ALL CONVERSATIONS
  • RESOURCESOpen Menu
    • Business Travel Rebooted
    • Corporate Travel Index Europe
    • New Horizons – the 2022 sourcing guide
    • Online booking tools – the essential guide
    • The 2022 Hotlist
    • Safety First
    • Travel entry requirements
    • Sustaining the Future
    • Europe's Leading TMCs 2021
    • BTN Europe podcasts
    • Wheels in Motion
    • BTSEKO - CEO Interviews
  • EVENTSOpen Menu
    • Webinars
    • Business Travel Show Europe
    • Business Travel Awards Europe
    • Business Travel Accommodation Summit
    • Business Travel Tech Talk
    • Global Travel Risk Summit
    • Strategic Meetings Summit
    • VIEW ALL EVENTS
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • NEWSOpen Menu
    • Accommodation
    • Air Travel
    • Ground Transport
    • Management
    • Meetings
    • On the Move
    • Payment & Expense
    • Technology
    • TMC & Distribution
    • Travel Procurement
    • Recent Issues
  • FEATURESOpen Menu
    • View All Features
  • CONVERSATIONSOpen Menu
    • Interviews
    • Q&As
    • Columnists
    • Podcasts
    • VIEW ALL CONVERSATIONS
  • RESOURCESOpen Menu
    • Business Travel Rebooted
    • Corporate Travel Index Europe
    • New Horizons – the 2022 sourcing guide
    • Online booking tools – the essential guide
    • The 2022 Hotlist
    • Safety First
    • Travel entry requirements
    • Sustaining the Future
    • Europe's Leading TMCs 2021
    • BTN Europe podcasts
    • Wheels in Motion
    • BTSEKO - CEO Interviews
  • EVENTSOpen Menu
    • Webinars
    • Business Travel Show Europe
    • Business Travel Awards Europe
    • Business Travel Accommodation Summit
    • Business Travel Tech Talk
    • Global Travel Risk Summit
    • Strategic Meetings Summit
    • VIEW ALL EVENTS
  • SUBSCRIBE
Business Travel News Europe
  • Business Travel News Europe on Twitter
  • BTN Europe on LinkedIn
  • BTN Europe on Facebook
  • NEWS
    • Accommodation
    • Air Travel
    • Ground Transport
    • Management
    • Meetings
    • On the Move
    • Payment & Expense
    • Technology
    • TMC & Distribution
    • Travel Procurement
    • Recent Issues
    SubscribeBTN Europe NewsletterBTN Europe Magazine
  • FEATURES
    • View All Features
    work from anywhereWork From Anywhere: whose responsibility is it anyway?
    credit cardsPayback on the cards?
    Fidelity takes return to travel step by stepFidelity takes return to travel step by step

  • CONVERSATIONS
    • Interviews
    • Q&As
    • Columnists
    • Podcasts
    • VIEW ALL CONVERSATIONS
    Carol Fergus FidelityTwo minutes with... Carol Fergus
    John Sturino, vice president of product and technology, EgenciaWhy 2022 will be the breakthrough year for virtual cards
    Deborah Potts Summit AdvisoryM&As: TMC takeover trend poised to continue
  • RESOURCES
    • Business Travel Rebooted
    • Corporate Travel Index Europe
    • New Horizons – the 2022 sourcing guide
    • Online booking tools – the essential guide
    • The 2022 Hotlist
    • Safety First
    • Travel entry requirements
    • Sustaining the Future
    • Europe's Leading TMCs 2021
    • BTN Europe podcasts
    • Wheels in Motion
    • BTSEKO - CEO Interviews
  • EVENTS
    • Webinars
    • Business Travel Show Europe
    • Business Travel Awards Europe
    • Business Travel Accommodation Summit
    • Business Travel Tech Talk
    • Global Travel Risk Summit
    • Strategic Meetings Summit
    • VIEW ALL EVENTS
    Business Travel Show Europe

    Business Travel Show Europe is the place where

    Business Travel Accommodation Summit Europe

    September 2022, Virtual

    Entertainment Travel Summit London

    September 29 2022, Virtual

  • SUBSCRIBE

Ground Transport

Minicabs and Uber to pay London Congestion Charge

By Molly Dyson / 19 December 2018 / Contact Reporter
Share

London mayor Sadiq Khan has announced that private hire vehicles (PHVs), including minicabs and Uber, will soon have to pay the Congestion Charge when driving in central London.

PHVs have been exempt from the £11.50-per-day charge since it was introduced in 2003, but from 8 April 2019, only zero emission-capable cars will be able to avoid the fee.

In addition, PHVs that don’t meet Cleaner Vehicle Discount (CVD) standards or are not wheelchair accessible will also have to pay the charge.

Then from October 2021, only pure electric vehicles will qualify for the discount, which expires in December 2025.

It is not clear whether these changes will have an effect on fares for passengers.

Transport for London (TfL) says the move will help Khan’s ambition for zero-emission road transport by 2050 and will tackle congestion problems in the capital, which is associated with poor air quality. It claims the move could reduce the number of PHVs in the Congestion Charge Zone by up to 8,000 a day.

The changes were made after TfL reportedly received 10,000 responses to a public consultation, many of which supported charging operators of minicabs as well as companies such as Uber.

In addition to lifting the Congestion Charge exemption, Khan and TfL have introduced a number of other measures to combat pollution related to diesel taxis, including a delicensing fund providing up to £10,000 for drivers who trade their older, dirtier vehicles early.

There is also a £2.5 million fund to help drivers of new Euro 5 taxis to convert to cleaner liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) fuel and a consultation in 2019 on a phased reduction in maximum taxi age limits for the most polluting vehicles from 15 years to 12 years by 2022.

Khan is aiming to reduce emissions from taxis by 65 per cent in 2025.

Analysis by the International Council on Clean Transportation shows that real-world emissions from London taxis are seven times the laboratory limits, exceeding even passenger diesel cars. TfL claims taxis are currently responsible for 20 per cent of harmful nitrogen oxides and will be the biggest source of transport pollution in the capital by 2020.

According to the BBC, the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB) said the changes would “hit workers on poverty wages” and would ‘do little’ to reduce pollution.

The London Assembly claims Khan’s own figures show that the number of PHVs “would fall by only 600 a day, or 1 per cent” and has accused the mayor of removing the exemption “to rescue TfL from its dire financial straits”.

However, Khan said: “Toxic air pollution in London is a major public health crisis that is stunting the lung development of our children and leads to thousands of premature deaths and increases the risk of asthma and dementia.

“We have to make tough decisions to protect the health and wellbeing of Londoners and tackle harmful emissions from the most polluting vehicles. We’ve prioritised cleaning up our bus fleet and the early introduction of the 24-hour Ultra Low Emission Zone in central London. Now we need private hire vehicles and taxis to play their part and help us clean up our filthy air.”

Alex Williams, director of city planning at TfL, added: “Bold action is required to tackle London’s public health crisis. The taxi and private hire trades are central to reducing the filthy fumes circulating in our city. This package of measures will contribute to fewer vehicles driving where pollution is most concentrated and encourage the switch from diesel to electric.”

A report on the changes can be found here

More Ground Transport
Related
National ExpressNational Express decides not to raise offer for Stagecoach
Enterprise takes over running of car club in Norwich Enterprise takes over running of car club in Norwich
Sixt enables AirPlus central billing paymentsSixt boosted by record first quarter results

SPONSORED CONTENT

Don't let NDC take a backseat in 2022
Don't let NDC take a backseat in 2022By FCM Travel Solutions

Does New Distribution Capability have the power to deliver on new corporate travel priorities and... KEEP READING

More Ground Transport

National Express decides not to raise offer for Stagecoach
Enterprise takes over running of car club in Norwich
Sixt boosted by record first quarter results
Cabify secures €40m loan to buy electric vehicles

VIEW ALL
  • Most Read
  • Most Shared
  1. Israel drops on-arrival Covid tests for passengers
  2. European hotel prices exceed pre-pandemic levels
  3. Study identifies the corporates best tackling air travel emissions
  4. Air France announces new business class cabin
  5. ANA to resume London-Tokyo flights as restrictions ease
  1. European hotel prices exceed pre-pandemic levels
  2. EU to remove mask mandate advice for air travel
  3. Global airline capacity back to 83 per cent of pre-Covid seats
  4. Traveldoo put up for sale by Expedia Group
  5. Air France announces new business class cabin
Business Travel News EuropeBusiness Travel News Europe
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • Advertise
  • EDITORIAL CALENDAR
  • Business Travel Show Europe
  • Business Travel News Europe on Twitter
  • BTN Europe on LinkedIn
  • BTN Europe on Facebook
BUSINESS TRAVEL NEWS EUROPE
NORTHSTAR TRAVEL GROUP
Business Travel News
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • Advertise
  • Editorial calendar
  • Editorial guidelines
  • Subscribe to BTN Europe
  • Subscribe to BTN U.S.
  • Subscribe to Travel Procurement
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms & conditions
Northstar Travel Group
  • Corporate travel
  • Business Travel Show
  • Business Travel Awards
  • BTN U.S.
  • The Beat
  • Travel Procurement

  • Travel Technology
  • Travel Tech Show
  • Phocuswire
  • Phocuswright
  • Intelliguide
  • Meetings & incentives
  • M&IT
  • AMI
  • ConventionSource
  • M&IT Awards

  • Retail travel
  • Travel Weekly
  • Travel Pulse

  • Northstar Travel Group
  • View all Northstar brands
BTNGroup
Business Travel News EuropeBusiness Travel NewsTravel ProcurementThe BeatBusiness Travel Show Europe
Northstar Travel Group
Copyright ©2022, Northstar Travel Media Ltd, The Epworth, 25 City Road, London EC1Y 1AA, UK
RRManagement rrtestprocurement