Transport for London (TfL) has confirmed plans to increase the Congestion Charge Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) from 2 January 2018, with a proposed rise for offences on TfL’s road network to follow later in the year, subject to Secretary of State review.
The increase from £65 to £80, or £130 to £160 for late payment, follows a public consultation that received more than 7,400 responses. TfL believe that the increase will encourage greater compliance and help to improve traffic flow.
For the past five years there has been a 12% increase in the number of motorists being issued with Congestion Charge PCNs. TfL believe that the rise is a clear indicator that the effectiveness of the current PCN fine has reduced over time.
TfL is also making it easier to pay the Congestion Charge with the new official TfL Congestion Charge app. The app, which launched last week, allows motorists to pay using a mobile device for the first time. Users can pay the Congestion Charge and T-Charge much quicker than paying by phone or online, save vehicles and payment cards to their app and see if a postcode is in the Congestion Charge zone.
This article has been reproduced with the permission of the BVRLA (http://www.bvrla.co.uk)