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Sometimes driving into central London can’t be avoided. It might be a last minute meeting or a family trip to a see a West End Show.
If you plan to drive in the zone, pay Congestion Charge before you set off. Open the app, head to city charges and select London Congestion Charge. Pick the day, and pay. Done.
The aim of this charge is simple – to reduce traffic volume and air pollution in central London, improving the flow of traffic and making the city air safer for everyone who breathes it.
London’s Congestion Charge was introduced in 2003. Since then, traffic in the zone has dropped by 27% according to TfL, with 80,000 fewer cars entering the charging zone each day.
London isn’t the first city to do this. Back in 1975, Singapore started to fine people for driving at busy times. Since then, other major cities around the world – including Stockholm, Milan, and Copenhagen – have introduced a congestion charge.
Daily charges, payable on each occasion:
If you don’t pay the charge within three days of driving in the zone then you’ll be sent a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN). This is a £160 fine, payable within 28 days. It will be reduced to £80 if you pay within 14 days.
If you don’t pay the fine within 28 days,TfL issues a Charge Certificate for 50% more than the original fine. This will increase the fine to £240!
There are exceptions, and some vehicles will be exempt from paying the Congestion Charge.
Drivers of zero emission vehicles (i.e. electric cars) are fully exempt. Residents of the Congestion Charge zone can apply for a 90% discount for their vehicle, motorbikes are fully exempt, and Blue Badge holders are fully exempt if the vehicle has been registered accordingly. See more exemptions here (LINK)
If you’re not in these categories you will have to pay if you drive into the Congestion Charge Zone between 7am and 6pm on weekdays, and 12pm to 6pm on weekends.
The purpose of the charge is to reduce volume of traffic in Central London, and TfL has increased investment in public transport and cycle routes to support this. If you want to avoid the charge your options are -
The Congestion Charge Zone covers most of Central London, roughly a 21 sq km area.
Some of the popular areas within the zone:
There are signs around the perimeter of the zone, and additional signs warn you in plenty of time as you approach the zone.
This is all managed by cameras that scan vehicle number plates and capture your vehicle details, there are no physical barriers and the zone itself is only marked by road signs.
Caura is the fastest and easiest way to pay the London Congestion Charge. Two taps and you’re done, Congestion Charge paid with no additional service charge or fees.
Downloading the app and getting your car set-up takes a second, then you can benefit from having all your car admin in one place, with quick access to payment receipts in the app.
If you’re a regular in the Congestion Charge zone, you can set up AutoPay directly on Caura. It's free to set-up and means that Caura will take automatic payments each time you drive in the zone.
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