London’s gas-guzzling motorists are set to face a new £25-a-day congestion charge .
The Mayor of London’s Office has confirmed the new rules, set to be enforced from October 27, will result in owners of cars that emit over 225g/km of carbon dioxide being charged £25 for entering London’s congestion zone .
Motorists who drive a car registered before September 2001 with an engine bigger than 3000cc will also be subject to the £25-a-day charge, although owners of cars that emit less than 120g/km of CO2 will escape being fined.
Currently only two per cent of cars using the congestion zone are in tax bands A and B, which will be free of charge, although the government expects this figure to increase considerably by next year.
London Mayor Ken Livingstone, head of climate change plans to reduce London’s CO2 emissions by 60 per cent by 2025, said: "Nobody needs to damage the environment by driving a gas-guzzling Chelsea Tractor in central London ."
"The CO2 charge will encourage people to switch to cleaner vehicles, or public transport ."
"Those who choose to carry on driving the most-polluting vehicles will help to pay for the environmental damage they cause. This is the "polluter pays" principle."
