...CAPITAL NEWS


CENTRAL LONDON CONGESTION CHARGE: PHVS WILL BE MADE TO PAY £11.50 FROM APRIL


Private hire vehicles will be forced to pay the


congestion


charge in a bid to improve air quality in central London, Sadiq Khan an- nounced on Dec- ember 19. PHVs had been exempt from the charge, but Trans- port


for London


(TfL) is seeking to cut down the num- ber of vehicles on the capital’s roads after they surged in part due to bur- geoning taxi apps. TfL’s revenues have also been hit in recent years by cuts to central govern- ment funding, the extra expenditure required by the delayed Crossrail train link and a freeze in fares. The Evening Stan- dard reports that fares are likely to rise depending on how much of the £11.50 weekday


daily


charge - for driving a vehicle within the charging


zone


between 07:00 and 18:00, Monday to


Friday - drivers pass on to passengers. The minicab indus- try had warned that most fares would rise by 10-20 per cent, some would treble and minicabs “could become as expensive as black cabs”. Minicabs have been exempt from the C-charge since its introduction more than 15 years ago. The Mayor, who has been unable to impose a cap on the number of drivers licensed by Trans- port for London, decided to remove the exemption from April 8 2019. The changes, back- ed in a TfL consulta- tion, are predicted to reduce the num- ber of minicabs, such as Uber and Addison Lee, enter- ing the zone from 18,000 to 10,000 a day. The number has rocketed from the 4,000 entering the zone when the C- charge was first launched in 2003.


However research


commissioned by TfL predicted that traffic volumes may only fall by six per cent as many mini- cabs would just make repeated jour- neys or


“loiter”


within the zone awaiting hire. Only hybrid PHVs that can run in “zero emission mode”, or vehicles that can carry wheelchairs, will continue to be exempt. It is thought modern versions of the Toy- ota Prius hybrid car which are used by many Uber drivers, already meet the new standards. Black taxis will retain their


because of


exemption their


wheelchair accessi- bility but new rules will


reduce their


Sadiq Khan has removed PHV exemption for C-charge in London


JANUARY 2019


maximum age from 15 years to 12 years by 2022. The C-charge is expected to raise £30 million a year for TfL. Minicabs which breach ultra low emission zone rules in the C-zone, face also having to pay a 24/7 fee of £12.50. The rules will be fur- ther tightened in 2021, when only fully electric minicabs will be exempt from the C-charge. Mr Khan blames the increased number of PHVs and the rise in online deliveries for worsening road con- gestion. He said: “We have to make tough deci- sions to protect the health and wellbeing


exemption for pri- vate hire drivers is going to lead to the loss of high street minicab offices as well as jobs from those who are already disenfran- chised. Steve Garelick, GMB Regional Officer said: “GMB of course endorses


cleaner


of Londoners and tackle harmful emis- sions from the most polluting vehicles. We need private hire vehicles and taxis to play their part and help us clean up our filthy air.” Alex Williams, TfL’s director of city plan- ning, said:


“This


package of mea- sures will contribute to fewer vehicles driving where pollu- tion is most con- centrated and en- courage the switch from diesel to elec- tric.” Professor Jonathan Grigg, an expert in paediatric respirato- ry and environ- mental medicine, Queen Mary Univer- sity of London, said: “Older black cabs produce very high levels of toxic emis- sions. It is therefore reasonable that the [Mayor]


removes


this fleet from Lon- don’s roads as soon as possible.” An Uber spokes- woman said: “The Mayor of London has set out a bold vision to tackle air pollu- tion in the capital and we’re deter-


mined to do every- thing we can to back it. We want all cars on the app to be fully electric in Lon- don in 2025, with the first 20,000 drivers upgrading to electric vehicles by the end of 2021.” Andrew Boff, Tory London Assembly member, said: “This misguided move will fail to achieve its pri- mary objective of reducing conges- tion. The Mayor has blown a £1 billion black hole in the transport budget and now he is hell- bent on hammering the [private hire] industry to boost the coffers.” The Licensed Private Hire Car Association (LPHCA) is equally adamant that the C- charge should not be brought in. They have campaigned, unfortunately unsuc- cessfully, against the charge ever since it was first proposed. Meanwhile, the GMB has slammed TfL’s decision to change the London Conges- tion Charge scheme. GMB London said that removing the


emissions, however the drivers who will be asked to pay this tax will bear the brunt of this. “Uber has already confirmed the cost will be on the driver. “In the meantime, London’s taxi drivers who invested in their vehicles based on a 15-year age limit will undoubtedly be faced with a stricter vehicle age restriction. “The reality is higher cost charging for heavy goods vehi- cles and private vehicles would also have been a solution. “Regarding PHVs, in some vehicle types an electric option is just not available. “This will also affect passengers as well as drivers who can- not


afford the


change.” Mmmm… Talk about a stable door job! TfL issued PHV licences like sweets by the thousands in recent years; now that minicabs cannot be restricted via numerical limit in the capital, they hit them with this C-charge to reduce numbers?! And exactly how is that £30 million a year going to be spent? – Ed.


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