London Heathrow Airport Car Hire Specialists
The London Congestion Charge
In common with all cities, London has traffic problems, so TFL have introduced a Congestion Charge.
London Congestion Zone Charges
London has serious traffic problems and can get very congested. So, to capitalise on this, the government have introduced the London Congestion Charge.
If you are intending to travel into central London by car, then please be aware that a Congestion Zone is in operation and you will be required to pay the London Transport Authority (TFL) a charge of £10.00 when you enter the zone.
There is no toll or anything, rather TFL uses advanced CCTV number-recognition technology and a computerised system, so charges are sent automatically and directly to the vehicle owner, usually several days after the charge was incurred. Obviously with hire vehicles, this then becomes a complicated matter, the notice being sent first to the leasing company, then to the hire company, who must then foot the bill in case the hire vehicle has already been returned, which is normally the case.
We therefore ask all drivers to be aware of when and if they are entering the Congestion Zone and to inform us of these intentions at the time of hire.
Exemption for Low-Emission and MPV Vehicles
Certain vehicles such as the Toyota Prius and Toyota Auris Hybrids are exempt from the London Congestion Charge
Many modern vehicles are now exempt (100% discount) from the London Congestion Charge, and these include most new vehicles registered after January 2011, all hybrid/electrically propelled vehicles, and people carriers/minibuses with 9 seats or more.
Transport for London issues guidelines on vehicle emissions and the London Congestion Charge, and the general rule is vehicles having CO2 emissions of less than 100g/km, and some multi-seat MPVs will be exempt, but specifics change from time to time, so it is a complicated process.
Please check your hire vehicle exemption status at the time of hiring, and please see also Transport for London's Website for more information.
Times of Operation
The London Congestion Charge operates from 07:00am to 18:00pm, Monday to Friday.
There is no charge on weekends, public holidays, between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day inclusive, or between 18:00pm and 07:00am.
London Congestion Charge Zone
When driving around London, road signs clearly delineate the start and end of the congestion charging zone. There is also a big red circle with a white 'C' in the middle actually printed on the road itself.
The charging zone basically encompasses all of central London, from Marylebone in the West to east of The City, and from Finsbury in the North, right down to Lambeth, south of the river. The easiest way to explain the zones of operation is with a map. Here it is, on the right. Larger versions are available on the TFL Website.
