Drivers in England who use tunnels at 'peak times' face £180 fines

Drivers in England face a £4 charge to drive through tunnels under strict new rules. Sadiq Khan will charge drivers £4 a day to use tunnels under plans to make journeys "20 minutes faster" and the Labour Party London Mayor has praised the benefits the tunnels will have for congestion in east London.

Drivers will be charged up to £4 to use two new tunnels in the capital under new plans outlined by Transport for London. Transport for London is asking for the opinions of drivers in the capital about the level of charges for the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels.

Proposals suggest that at peak times, drivers would charged £4. This would be on weekdays between 6am and 10am northbound or between 4pm and 7pm southbound. People using Auto Pay, which is the preferred payment option for the Congestion Charge and Ultra Low Emission Zone, will have to pay £1.50 for off-peak journeys.

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Mr Khan said: "Local residents and business owners currently face chronic congestion and pollution in the area around the Blackwall Tunnel. When it opens in 2025, the long-planned new Silvertown Tunnel will help deliver quicker, more reliable journeys in east London by easing congestion and making journeys up to 20 minutes faster."

If drivers fail to pay the charges, they could be slapped with a penalty charge notice worth £180, although it will be reduced to £90 if it is paid within two weeks. Christina Calderato, director of strategy at TfL, said residents and drivers were being given a say in the development of charges given the proximity to the scheduled opening of the Silvertown Tunnel.

She added: "Without introducing tunnel user charges for the Silvertown and Blackwall tunnels, there would likely be high levels of traffic and congestion, which would lead to detrimental air quality impacts, as well as longer journey times."