London’s long awaited “T-Charge” went into effect in the city last week, effectively limiting access to central London by those driving the oldest and most heavily polluting vehicles still on the road (those not meeting Euro 4 standards). Such vehicles must now pay a £10 daily tax.
This new tax is applied on top of the existing £11.50 congestion tax, it should be noted; and is applied during the same weekday hours (7:00 am to 6:00 pm). So, people driving old polluting vehicles in central London during those hours could end up paying up to £21.50 a day for access, making for a pretty strong deterrent. (Better to just take the Tube?)
The new charge functions as part of the city’s efforts to address a rapidly growing air pollution problem, and is to be intensified over the coming years — with the eventual goal being the imposition of a zero-emissions zone in the center city.
As a reminder of the value of such efforts here, a 2015 study found that around 10,000 Londoners are currently dying every year as the result of long-term air pollution exposure.