Options

This consultation is an opportunity to reflect on potential options that the Mayor and Transport for London are considering for the future of the Western Extension. This consultation is an opportunity to reflect on potential options that the Mayor and Transport for London are considering for the future of the Western Extension

Here you will find descriptions of the options and the wider impacts they might have.

• Option 1: Keep the Western Extension as it is.
• Option 2: Remove the Western Extension – There would no longer be a charge to drive in the Western Extension; residents there would no longer receive a discount on travel in the original charging zone.
• Option 3: Change the Western Extension – Change the way the scheme operates by introducing account based payment, by introducing a charge free period in the middle of the day in the Western Extension, or by increasing the residents' discount to 100 percent.

Option 1: Keep the Western Extension

The Western Extension would remain in place and continue to operate as it does at present:

• An £8 daily charge for using a vehicle on public roads within the Congestion Charging zone, Monday to Friday, 7:00am to 6:00pm
• The same range of discount and exemptions will be available to certain categories of vehicle and individuals (for example Blue Badge holders and residents living within the zone).

Possible impacts

• Benefits of reduced traffic levels (around 30,000 fewer cars every day) and reduced emissions of CO₂ and air quality pollutants would remain.
• The whole extended scheme generated around £137m of net revenue in 2007/8 which is used to improve transport in London. In 2010, it is projected that the scheme will raise £145-175m of net revenue per year. The Western Extension contributes a large proportion of the total revenue of the scheme and so provides a significant amount of revenue for improving transport in London.

Option 2: Remove the Western Extension

The Western Extension of the Congestion Charging zone would be removed, returning the zone back to its original size with its original boundaries in central London.

The earliest this could happen is at the end of 2009.

The original zone would continue to operate with a charge of £8 per day to drive within the zone Monday to Friday 7.00am to 6.00pm. There would no longer be any charge to drive in the area to the west of the original charging zone.

Residents' discount

Those people living in the Western Extension zone (and those residents living just outside the Western Extension zone who are currently eligible for the residents' discount) would no longer be eligible for the 90 percent discount. They would have to pay the £8 daily charge to drive within the original zone.

Residents living within the original charging zone (and those residents living just outside the original charging zone who are eligible for the residents' 90 percent discount) would continue to qualify for the residents' 90 percent discount.

All existing discounts and exemptions would still apply in the original charging zone.

Bus services

When the Western Extension was introduced, bus services in the area were enhanced to support the operation of the scheme and to accommodate additional demand from people transferring to public transport. If the Western Extension was removed TfL would review whether these additional services should be retained, modified or withdrawn.

Possible impacts

The benefits of reduced traffic levels and reduced air quality emissions and CO₂ emissions brought by the scheme in the Western Extension would be lost and traffic and congestion would be likely to increase significantly. There would be a slight decrease in traffic in the original central London zone. Road works are also likely to continue, and if road capacity remained restrained, any increases in traffic would lead to increased congestion above that experienced before the Western Extension was implemented.

The original central zone would remain in place and continue to deliver benefits.

There would be a reduction of about £70m in net scheme revenues each year for improving transport in London (from a projected average of £145-175m per year). The revenue from the original zone would continue to be reinvested in improving transport in London.

If traffic and congestion levels increase there are also likely to be negative impacts on bus journey times and reliability.

Option 3: Change the Western Extension

The following options for changing the way that the Congestion Charging scheme works are not mutually exclusive. Other changes may also be possible.

1. Make the charge easier to pay by introducing payment accounts.
2. Introduce a charge-free period in the middle of the day.
3. Increase the Residents' Discount to 100 per cent

A: Make the charge easier to pay by introducing payment accounts

Accounts would allow for payments to be processed automatically. As well as being convenient, accounts would help reduce the risk of receiving Penatly Charge Notices, for instance due to forgetting to pay the charge or making a simple error.

The Western Extension would remain in place and continue to operate with the original central London Congestion Charging zone as one extended zone. The current discounts and exemptions would remain in place.

The earliest that payment accounts could be introduced is in early 2010.

Daily payments for residents

Those registered with TfL for the residents' 90 percent discount would be able to pay for single days, rather than for a minimum of five consecutive charging days as is currently the case. This would apply to the whole scheme. Payments would only be taken from the relevant credit or debit card when a residents' vehicle has used the zone for a total of five charging days.

The existing system of paying £4 for five consecutive charging days would be retained for residents who do not opt for accounts.

Non account-holders would still be able to pay the charge via the existing payment channels and at the same rate as they do now.

Possible impacts

• Net revenues for improving the Capital's transport system would be reduced by about £30m per year (from a projected average of £145m-175m net scheme revenue per year).
• There would be little change in traffic, emissions and congestion levels.

B: Introduce a charge-free period in the middle of the day

A charge-free period would be introduced in the Western Extension during the middle of the day, for example from 11:00am to 2:00pm. Drivers would be able to drive within the Western Extension charge-free during this period, although congestion would be likely to increase significantly. However, the £8 daily charge in the original central London zone would continue to apply throughout the day.

Those driving solely within the Western Extension during the middle of the day would not have to pay the Congestion Charge, but those who drive in both the Western Extension and the original zone or in the Western Extension during the charged periods would still have to pay.

The daily charge would be capped at £8, so those driving in the zone in either the morning or the afternoon charged periods, or in both, would pay £8 (the same as the current daily charge).

Consideration will have to be given to the practical and operational implications of this change, depending on how it is further developed. It is possible that it would only be available to drivers with accounts.

Existing discounts and exemptions would remain and apply to the entire zone, as they do at present.

To allow time for the development and implementation of the necessary systems, this option could not be introduced until 2010.

Possible impacts

• Some increase in congestion and vehicle emissions in the Western Extension during the middle of the day, but there would still be reductions in the charged periods compared to a situation without charging.
• Some of the benefits of traffic reduction would be lost, and congestion could increase significantly during the charge free period. There might be some increases in CO₂ and air quality pollutants.
• Net revenues for improving transport in London would be reduced by around £20m per year (from a projected average of £145-175m net scheme revenue per year). This does not includes the financial impact of payment accounts.
• There may be some negative impacts on bus journey times and reliability.

C: Increase the residents' discount to 100 percent

Both the original and the Western Extension zone would remain in place and the scheme would continue to operate as it does at present for non-residents. There would continue to be a range of discounts and exemptions available to certain categories of vehicles and individuals.

However, those residents registered with TfL for the residents' discount (and those residents living just outside the charging zone who are eligible for the residents' discount) would have this discount increased from 90 percent to 100 percent; this would apply throughout the whole extended zone.

The earliest that this discount system could be introduced is in 2010.

Possible impacts

• Traffic reduction and congestion benefits could be slightly reduced, CO₂ and air quality emissions could increase slightly, but there would still be benefits in comparison to a situation without charging.
• Net revenues for improving transport in London would be reduced by around £10m per year (from a projected average of £145-175m net scheme revenue per year).