C-charge rise blows hole in back-to-work plan, Sadiq Khan told

Sadiq Khan today came under renewed attack for his plan to raise the congestion charge to £15 and to temporarily increase its hours.

The levy, up from £11.50, is due to start on June 22, when the charge will also be extended to the weekends and be enforced until 10pm each night, rather than until 6pm.

Liam Griffin, chief executive of minicab firm Addison Lee, said the move would “blow a hole” in the Government’s plan to get the capital back to work without overwhelming public transport or causing a second wave of coronavirus.

He called for firms “providing essential business and commuting services into central London” to be exempt from the higher charge and extra hours. Minicabs became liable to pay the C-charge for the first time last year.

Mr Griffin said: “Private hire drivers and couriers have been at the heart of the lockdown response. They will support the phased return to the ‘new normal’ as buses and Tubes continue to operate at limited capacity. Use of our services also helps to avoid the capital being swamped by individuals driving private vehicles.”

Mr Khan said he was ordered to review the C-charge as a condition to receiving a £1.6 billion coronavirus bailout for Transport for London from the Government.

Heidi Alexander, deputy mayor for transport, said: “We urge businesses to do all they can to assist their employees with the resources they need to work from home and encourage staff to travel by bike or on foot.”

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