Drivers face new £40 charge which'll be deducted from bank account 'automatically'

Drivers using Silvertown and Blackwall tunnels WILL have to pay £4 at peak times, motorists and road users in the capital have been warned. But Transport for London has been slammed over the "cash grab" ahead of the Christmas season.

Transport for London has announced that it will decide on a package of initial charges, discounts and exemptions at a meeting on Wednesday, December 4, following a consultation. For peak hours, the toll fee will be £4, with an off-peak rate of £1.50 set to be implemented.

The charges will be applicable seven days a week, between the hours of 6am and 10pm. Peak hours will run for four hours on weekday mornings, from 6am to 10am, for northbound traffic, and from 4pm to 7pm on weekday evenings for southbound traffic.

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Drivers will be able to pay the toll online but can only avail of the off-peak rate if they sign up to TFL's 'auto-pay' plan which would see the £1.50 automatically deducted from their bank account. It means a motorist using the toll road twice a day Monday to Friday faces a £40 weekly charge.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan is expected to grant final approval to the tolls during a meeting of the TFL board next month. Mr Khan said that the Blackwall Tunnel was never designed to accommodate the levels of traffic it is currently enduring and that the new Silvertown Tunnel will aid in reducing both journey times and air pollution.

"I'm a firm believer in stealing good policies," Mr Khan said. He said: "The new Silvertown tunnel will ease congestion for drivers, reduce journey times and help manage air pollution. TfL's proposed package of concessions, exemptions and discounts will support Londoners in a variety of ways, including those on the lowest incomes, and help local residents take full advantage of the new bus and cycle connections."