Transport for London (TfL) has temporarily suspended all road user charging schemes from Monday 23 March to help critical workers during the coronavirus pandemic.
It means that no charges will be levied for the Congestion Charge, Ultra Low Emission Zone and Low Emission Zone until further notice, supporting key workers but also the supply chain.
With TfL operating reduced services due to the pandemic, more key workers are expected to travel by car, while the general public have been told to only travel if absolutely necessary.
Paul Cowperthwaite, TfL’s general manager of road user charging, said: “What we are seeing through this crisis is that London’s critical workforce is wider than just the core emergency services. Emergency services workers are absolutely fundamental to our response, but supermarket workers, utilities engineers, refuse collectors, and many more, also need to be able to travel to keep the city functioning. This is why we have temporarily suspended road user charging in the capital.”
NHS staff are also being given free access to Santander Cycles to support their work. Workers can now access a code that waives the 24-hour access fee for Santander Cycles, meaning any journey under 30 minutes is free. In addition to free access, docking stations near hospitals are being prioritised to ensure there is a regular supply of bikes for medical staff to use.
