The change, which follows a public consultation, has been introduced on the back of a fall in the use of shops and petrol stations to pay the charge – from 37% when the Congestion Charge was introduced in 2003 to just 4% of all payments today.
Instead, TfL says the vast majority of customers now pay the charge through the automatic payment method, Congestion Charge Auto Pay (CC Auto Pay), which offers users a reduced daily charge of £9 (rather than £10 if paid using other methods) and also ensures they need never be fined for non-payment of the charge. Drivers are also able to pay online, by phone or by text message.
The move to end payment in shops and petrol stations will reduce the cost of operating the Congestion Charge by £600,000 a year.
