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Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone introduced the
Congestion charge as a way of ensuring that those using valuable and
congested road space make a financial contribution, almost like another
road tax.
It supposed to encourage the use of other modes of transport such as
buses and subways and is also intended to ensure that, for those who have
to use the roads, journey times are quicker and more reliable.
The cost of the scheme requires drivers to pay £8 per day if they wish to
continue driving in central London during the scheme‘s hours of operation.
If you work in London, and commute daily, that works out as just under £2000
per year on this charge.
The London Congestion Charging Zone operates between 7.00am and 6.30pm Monday
to Friday
To enforce the congestion charge, there is a network of fixed and mobile
cameras both around the boundary and within the charging zone which takes
pictures of the vehicle registration marks (number plates) within this
zone. These images are matched to the database of payments and
exemptions and where no match is found a Penalty Charge Notice is issued
to the registered keeper, similar to the method of speed cameras.
£2000 is a lot of money, so how can you
legally avoid the congestion charge?
Well, there are a few options to get an
exemption or reduction on the congestion charge:
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1. |
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Don't drive in London |
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2. |
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| Qualify for one of
these exemptions or reductions: |
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Disabled people, or
institutions for disabled people, who hold a Blue Badge
(formerly known as Orange Badge) |
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Residents living within the
congestion charging zone |
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Vehicles with 9 or more seats |
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Drivers of roadside recovery
vehicles |
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Accredited breakdown
organisations |
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3. |
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Convert your car to LPG* |
Now, #1 is
inconvenient, I if you don't qualify for any of the items in #2,
THEN #3 - LPG
conversion IS THE ROUTE FOR YOU
*There are many companies that claim to convert cars to LPG
in order to receive the exemption to the Congestion Charge, but only
those companies like AFS who are on the Powershift register are able to
offer exemptions.
The exemption is also dependent on the make, model,
transmission and engine of the car. It is advised that you look at
these options carefully before making your choice.
For your information, here are the things you need to know
about LPG conversions.
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