About the Congestion Charge in London

Vehicles which drive within a clearly defined zone of central London between the hours of 07:00 and 18:00, Monday to Friday, have to pay an £8 daily Congestion Charge.

Payment of the charge allows you to enter, drive within, and exit the Charging Zone as many times as you wish on that day.

The charge aims to reduce traffic congestion and improve journey times by encouraging people to choose other forms of transport if possible.

Some individuals and vehicles are exempt from payment , or can claim a discount on the charge.

All monies raised from Congestion Charging are spent on London 's transport facilities.

How it works

There are no tollbooths or barriers around the Congestion Charging Zone and no physical tickets or passes are required.

There is a network of camera sites monitoring every entrance and exit to the Congestion Charging zone along the boundary road, and monitoring journeys made within the charging zone.

Each camera site consists of at least one colour camera plus a monochrome camera for each lane of traffic being monitored.

The cameras provide high-quality digital images of the whole vehicle to Automatic Number Plate Recognition software, which reads and records each number plate. Tests show that the cameras read more than 90% of all number plates accurately.

The cameras read your vehicle registration as you enter, drive within or exit the Congestion Charging zone and check it against our database. If this check establishes that you have already paid or do not have to pay the charge then the image is automatically deleted from the database.

Following a final check at midnight the following charging day, the system highlights the vehicle registration numbers that should have been paid for but have not been. The recorded images for these vehicles are then manually checked. Once they are validated Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) are generated. In the first instance legislation holds the registered keeper liable, so any PCN issued is sent to the keeper of the vehicle.

Hours of Operation

Certain vehicles are subject to the Congestion Charge if driven within the charging zone between 07:00 and 18:00, Monday to Friday.

You do not have to pay the charge on weekends, English public holidays, designated non-charging days, or between 18:00 and 07:00.

Some vehicles or drivers qualify for discounts and exemptions .

Non-charging day s

All charging days that fall between Christmas Day and New Year's Day inclusive are designated non-charging days. Vehicles that drive within the zone on or between these dates will not incur the Congestion Charge.

Zone map

You can find out the boundaries of the charging zone, and the free routes across it by downloading maps available on the Transport for London website on the Congestion Charge reference pages. Visit www.tfl.gov.uk

This information was taken from the Transport for London website which provides travel information for getting around London .

Visit http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/congestioncharging/