TfL suspends Congestion Charge to help critical workers move around London during coronavirus crisis

Transport for London (TfL) will temporarily suspend all road user charging schemes in London to help critical workers move around the capital during the coronavirus crisis.

The transport operator said the Congestion Charge, Ultra Low Emission Zone and Low Emission Zone would stop operating from Monday until further notice.

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, asked for the suspension to ensure critical workers, such as NHS staff, could get around easily.

The move will also help ensure supply chains, including for supermarkets, could continue, as well as keeping roads clear for emergency vehicles.

With some Tube stations being closed and the Government asking people to limit social contact, driving to work was the ‘simplest option’ for many critical workers, TfL said.

Emphasising Government advice to avoid unnecessary travel, it asked drivers to consider ‘the wider implications’ when thinking about using their vehicles.

Mr Khan said: ‘This is not an invitation to take to your cars. To save lives we need the roads clear for ambulances, doctors, nurses and other critical workers.

‘This is an unprecedented time and I know Londoners are doing everything they can to look after each other.

‘I continue to urge all Londoners to follow the advice of public health authorities and not leave their homes unless it is absolutely essential.’

NHS workers will also be given a code that waives the 24-hour access fee for the Santander Cycles scheme in the capital.

Any journey under 30 minutes will be free, with docking stations near hospitals being prioritised to ensure a regular supply of bikes.

The transport operator said that, with some tube stations being closed, driving to work was the ‘simplest option’ for many critical workers in London (file photo)

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.’

Natalie Chapman, head of urban policy at FTA, the business group which speaks for the logistics sector, said: ‘The suspension of the Congestion Charge and the ULEZ is welcome news for our sector, charged as we are with keeping the capital stocked with the vital supplies it needs in such extraordinary circumstances.

‘With unprecedented levels of demand for food, medicines and other commodities, this move will keep the supply chain stable and robust and ensure that London can remain open for business, supporting its residents, its companies and its industry.’

Earlier this week, 40 Tube stations were closed for the foreseeable future and the Waterloo and City line halted completely as the transport network attempted to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Central stations including Covent Garden and Hyde Park Corner did not open on Thursday, and there will be no 24-hour weekend night tube from this weekend.