To reduce the noise and air pollution in the city, the government of London, with TFL (Transport for London), set up a congestion charge for vehicles driving inside a particular congestion charge zone. The congestion charges were put into effect from 2003 onwards, and every vehicle driving in the congestion zone between 7 am and 6 pm on weekdays and 12 pm and 6 pm on the weekends has had to pay these charges.
To make it easy for vehicle owners, especially businesses that own a fleet of vehicles and pass through the congestion zone, Transport for London has introduced AutoPay. Let’s take a look at how the congestion charges work and some benefits of setting up autopay with TFL.
What Areas Are in the Congestion Zone?
The areas in the Congestion Zone include St James’, Victoria, Waterloo, City of London, Borough, Finsbury, Clerkenwell, Holborn, Soho, Bloomsbury, Mayfair, and Marylebone.
You won’t be charged for driving on the outskirts of the boundary roads of these areas.
The Charges and Hours of Operation
The Congestion Zone charge is a fixed £10 amount for driving any motor vehicle powered by petrol or diesel within the Congestion Zone. Electric vehicles are exempt from Congestion Zone charges because EVs don’t emit any carbon dioxide or make any noise.
The charging hours begin at 7 am and end at 6 pm from Monday to Friday, and continue from noon to 6 pm on Saturday and Sunday. There are no charges on bank and public holidays.
Vehicles need to pay the fixed charge amount only once every day and can leave and re-enter the Congestion Zone as many times as they like on that particular day.
Entering or Leaving Congestion Zone
With the help of Congestion Zone markers on or by the roadside, you’ll be able to tell when you’re coming into or leaving the zone. You pay to verify your Vehicle Registration Number (VRN) in a database, as there are no tollbooths or barriers. As your vehicle enters, exits, or drives through the Congestion Zone, cameras will scan your license plate and compare it to a list of individuals who have made charge payments are exempt from paying the charges, or have qualified for a 100% discount. Once the VRN matches, the pictures of your car are promptly deleted from the database. The photos are kept for the record for a set period if you have Congestion Charging AutoPay set up so that the TFL can manage any account disputes before deleting the pictures.
When you’re about to leave the Congestion Zone, a C sign denoting the end of the zone will be visible on the roadside.
What is AutoPay?
Maintaining a record of who has or has not driven each day inside the Congestion Zone can be difficult and stressful when managing a fleet. You might also face hassles regarding paying Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) for vehicles that failed to pay the congestion charges.
Congestion Charging AutoPay can help with that. Every month, it counts the days a vehicle spends in the charge zone and invoices the account bearer’s payment card appropriately. Each AutoPay account allows for the nomination of up to 5 vehicles. The AutoPay account user will pay a discounted £9 charge for each of their vehicles. Account holders won’t risk receiving any PCNs for the Congestion Charging because the transaction is automated.
Register your fleet and make a monthly debit or credit payment for the fee. The best part is that you won’t have to track which of your cars have passed through the area and which have not yet. That will be done automatically. There are many other benefits of Congestion Zone AutoPay. Let’s take a look at them below.
How to Set Up Auto Pay
Before registering for CC AutoPay, you must have a Congestion Charging account with Transport for London (TfL). After that, you can sign up for CC AutoPay in your Customer Account. The TFL requires information on every vehicle you plan to nominate and information regarding your credit or debit card.
If you’re already signed up with TFL for Congestion Charging, just sign up for CC AutoPay by logging into your account and following the instructions.
To join up for CC AutoPay, there is a £10 registration fee for each vehicle, which must be paid annually. You’ll be automatically charged at the start of every year.
You can choose to get account statements by mail or e-mail, edit your vehicle details, and check your account balance and statements online.
Benefits of Setting Up Auto Pay
Setting up AutoPay has a lot of benefits for drivers and businesses who have multiple cars passing the Congestion Zone each day. These include:
Lower Charges
Vehicles registered for AutoPay have to pay £9 instead of the regular amount, which is £10.
Reduced Administration Time
You won’t have to pay a charge separately for every vehicle if you own multiple ones. All of them will be billed together and save you time and effort.
No Penalties
Automated payments are deducted from your account, which eliminates the possibility of getting penalties. This saves you costs in the long run.
Secure Transactions
The transactions are safe and secure, and the process is streamlined to make things easier for you.
More and more PCO drivers are now registering for AutoPay with the TFL because it helps them make extra income by driving through the congestion areas and saving money on the Congestion Zone charges. If you’re planning to start a career as a PCO driver, we can help you.
G&M Direct Hire is a leading PCO car hire in London. We help people get a PCO license and complete other formalities and steps necessary before becoming a PCO driver.
We also offer PCO cars for rent, including hybrid and electric cars. Our fleet of vehicles includes Kia E-Niro, Nissan Leaf, Toyota Prius Plug-In, and more
Contact us now for more details.