posted by admin on Apr 15
London have now introduced a second charge to visiting the city by road. First of all it was the Congestion Charge which charges drivers of most vehicles when they enter certain areas of the city centre, trying to deter high traffic volumes. But now they are charging for vehicle types.
So if you have recently been driving around the M25 and wondered what the green Low Emission Zone (LEZ) sign was going on about, here is a quick guide>
What is it - The LEZ was formed with the idea of improving the air quality of the city by deterring the most polluting vehicles from entering. This includes older diesel lorries, buses, coaches, etc at the moment, but will include more vehicles over the next 2 years, and will include motorcaravans and horseboxes over 3.5 tonnes. The LEZ does not affect cars and motoercycles.
Where is it - It includes most of Greater London inside the M25 and some areas outside of this - although the M25 itself is exempt from this charge. So it extends from Heathrow to Brentwood, and Enfiled to near Gatwick Airport. You can use the government website to check certain areas by inserting the postcode into their ‘Location Check’ tool.
When it is chargeable - The LEZ is always in operation, 24 hours a day every day - including bank holidays, and runs from midnight to midnight of every day. Basically if you are staying somewhere in the LEZ overnight, you will have to pay for 2 days entry.
How do you pay - You can pay online, by phone or by post, although by post needs to be applied for at least 10 days before you wish to enter the zone. By phone or online can be paid as late as the day after your travel into the LEZ.
Who pays - So far, it is only the registered owners of lorries over 12 tonnes who have to pay the charge, but from the 7th July 2008 it will also include buses and coaches over 5 tonnes and horseboxes, lorries and motoercaravans between 3.5 and 12 tonnes.
How much - At the moment the daily charge for lorries is set at 200UK pounds, but will be lower with the smaller vehicles added later. However, the penalties are 1000 if not paid on time, and 1500 if paid late! The way these are calculated is by remote cameras registering numberplates of vehicles entering the LEZ, then the fines are sent direct to the owner of the vehicle to pay - they are responsible for the charges, so they will pay the fine.
Find out more - go online to the government website for the London Emission Zone where it has all the details in many languages for your assistance in making sure you do not travel without having paid correctly. There is also a ‘Common Questions’ tool for more advice.
