Boroughs back road charging for capital

Road Charging

London Councils is pressing the mayor and Transport for London to pursue a London-wide road pricing scheme as part of a green recovery from Covid-19.

London Councils’ leaders’ committee this week endorsed  eight proposals drawn up by officers. 

One is to “radically reform the focus of the road network in London by working with the mayor and TfL to introduce a London-wide road pricing scheme that can underpin fair contributions by people using our roads, and supporting significant enhancement of strategic interconnection of walking and cycling routes across borough boundaries”.

It proposes the establishment of a working group of TfL, the Greater London Authority and borough officers in the first instance to develop some suitable options based on work already undertaken by TfL and bodies such as the Centre for London think tank. 

TfL is currently conducting a road user charging strategic options study looking at whether distance driven, emissions, time and road danger can be incorporated into charges (LTT 12 Jun).

The Centre for London published a report in April last year recommending distance-based road charging for the capital  (LTT 10 May). TfL provided input to that work.  

London Councils also calls on the Treasury to devolve Vehicle Excise Duty receipts from London to the mayor, “to support this refreshed and holistic approach to fair road user charging”. 

Since April VED receipts in England have been ringfenced for the National Roads Fund, chiefly targeted at the Highways England network.