Transport for London has been engaging with industry and local authorities to discuss the feasibility of a new Greater London Boundary Charge for non-residents, which would see a charge applied to vehicles registered outside London which are then driven into the capital.
The London Mayor believes that imposing a small charge could help to manage congestion, reduce emissions, and encourage uptake of more ‘sustainable’ transport modes, whilst also providing income for investment into the capital’s transport network.
The BVRLA, along with others attending last week’s discussions, including councils bordering Greater London and the Federation of Small Businesses were unanimous in their view that such a scheme would negatively impact local communities and small businesses providing vital services in London.
The association highlighted that without significant investment into legislation changes and back-office systems, the scheme would be impossible to implement. Furthermore, it does not consider how vital goods and services get into London or the fact that many vehicles used by residents in London will be registered with the DVLA outside of London, as company cars, rental, or car club vehicles.
The proposal for the scheme comes after the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan urged ministers to 'play fair by London' in the future funding of the capital's transport network by allowing the capital to keep the £500 million raised annually from Vehicle Excise Duty charged to London-based drivers.
The BVRLA will continue to raise concerns with TfL on how the scheme will work in practice.
