New Launches
Show Report: CV Show 2012
What a cracking event the 2012 Commercial Vehicle Show turned out to be, thanks in no small part to Ford… Read More
Mitsubishi L200 4x4 Long-Term Test 1
We has just taken delivery of a Mitsubishi L200 4x4 Club Cab for long-term appraisal… Read More
Ford Transit ECOnetic Brief Test
We’ve been putting a SWB 100hp 2.2TDi Euro 5 Transit 280 ECOnetic through its paces… Read More
Renault Kangoo ZE 2011 European Launch
Renault is at the forefront of manufacturers offering a mass produced factory-built electric van… Read More
Fuso Canter 2011 European Launch
Fuso has completely revamped its range of light and heavy truck Canter chassis and chassis crew cabs… Read More
Iveco Daily 2011 European Launch
Iveco has introduced new, latest generation diesels to its Daily range, along with detail changes inside and out… Read More
Ford Transit 2011 European Launch
Ford takes the iconic Transit to the next stage with an all-new range of 2.2-litre Euro 5 diesels… Read More
Volkswagen Crafter 2011 UK Launch
VW’s large panel van has undergone a serious makeover with changes to the front-end styling and the cab interior, as well as new Euro 5 diesels… Read More
Ford Transit Connect Electric Brief Test
We spent a day with the battery-powered Connect to get a better idea of what it’s like to live with in its natural, urban environment. Read More
Mercedes-Benz Vito E-CELL Brief Test
Currently undergoing trials with selected fleet customers in the UK, we managed to get behind the wheel of a battery-powered Vito E-CELL… Read More
Friday, 31 December 2010 04:56 | 
Written by Neil McIntee
London Charge zone shrinks, daily cost increases
Unusual as it may be for politicians to stick to their pre-election promises, London Mayor Boris Johnstone has done just that. From 4 January 2011 the western extension of the Congestion Tax zone will cease to exist officially. Click here for higher-res detailed map.In practice it has already been deleted as there is no charge between 25 December and 3 January, but there is a downside; from 4 January the daily cost of entering the taxation zone rises from £8 to £10 per day.
That’s £10 if paid in advance or on the day of travel. It rises to £12 if you cough-up by midnight the charging day after travel. Register for Auto Pay, however, and the tax drops to £9 per day. Auto Pay carries with it a £10 per year/per vehicle — up to five — registration fee. The minimum number of vehicles a fleet can register for Fleet Auto Pay has dropped from 10 to six.
A Greener Vehicle Discount (GVD) of 100 per cent has been introduced, but it’s of no benefit to van operators as it applies only to passenger cars emitting 100g/km of CO2 or less. In essence, vans will be paying an increased amount of tax to drive into a more congested London; brilliant.
The GVD replaces the Alternative Fuel Discount (AFD). Operators running liquid petroleum gas-fuelled vans which were registered for the AFD before 24 December 2010 will be able to benefit from a 100 per cent discount until 24 December 2012, but that’s it. Battery-powered vans remain exempt from the tax.
Click here for more information.