T-charge. Has it affected you?
by Fiona Taylor
The new T-charge has come into force. Has it affected you yet?
The T-charge, officially known as the Emissions Surcharge, was introduced yesterday. It has been brought in to try and reduce pollution in London.
The new charge is operational within the London Congestion Zone, and aims to ensure that the older vehicles that are being driven into London meet the minimum Euro emissions standards. Otherwise they will pay an extra daily charge. The £10 supplement will mainly apply to diesel and petrol vehicles registered before 2006.
This initiative is the latest attempt by London Mayor Sadiq Khan to improve the air quality in the capital. According to a representative from the mayors office, the T-charge will affect 34,000 motorists every month.
Recently speaking Mr Khan said:
“We’ve got a health crisis in London caused by the poor quality air. Roughly speaking each year more than 9,000 Londoners die prematurely because of the poor quality air – children in our city whose lungs are underdeveloped, with adults who suffer from conditions such as asthma, dementia and strokes directly caused by poor quality air.”
You can check if your vehicle will be affected by the T-charge here.
Have you been affected by the T-charge already?
With the new charge being introduced yesterday morning a number of people will already have been affected. As a result social media was buzzing with people who were talking about the charge yesterday.
- GP’s had been quoted as saying they were happy about it
- A number of posters on twitter said that it was a tax on the poor who cannot afford new cars
- Some welcomed the T-charge, saying that it would make breathing easier
Whatever your reaction to the T-charge, it is here and if your vehicles are affected it will cost you more to drive into London. Vehicles travelling into the congestion zone between 07.00 and 18.00, Monday to Friday, already pay an £11.50 daily charge. So this new charge will almost double that for some road users.
Let us know if you have been affected by the T-charge already, or if it will mean that you change how you plan your routes.
How do you know if your vehicle has entered the congestion zone, and if a T-charge needs to be paid?
You should be able to rely on your drivers to tell you if they have driven into the congestion zone. However sometimes they may forget to let you know. The vehicle tracking system from Satmo will alert you when any of your vehicles enter the congestion zone. Thereby offering a reminder. The system does not link to the pay system for the Congestion charge or the new emissions surcharge so you will need to make your own arrangements to ensure that these are paid in a timely manner.
If you would like to talk to us about how our fleet management system can help you please give one of the team a call on 01274 587748 and we will be more than happy to help.
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