Hornchurch & Upminster MP Julia Lopez is urging Havering residents to make their voices heard in TfL’s latest consultation on the Congestion Charge, warning that Mayor Sadiq Khan is once again targeting London’s drivers with more road charges—this time those Havering residents who need to drive to the city for their business or to see family, especially tradesmen.
Transport for London (TfL) is proposing to raise the Congestion Charge from £15 to £18 from January 2026, alongside introducing a new discount scheme for electric vehicles and changes to the residents' discount eligibility. While the charge applies to central London, Mrs Lopez is highlighting the disproportionate burden that repeated road price hikes place on residents in boroughs like Havering—where public transport alternatives are limited and car ownership is essential for work, family life, and access to services.
“This is yet another blow for drivers,” said Mrs Lopez. “From the punishing expansion of ULEZ into Havering to the sharp hike in Dart Charge fees, tolling of the Blackwall tunnel and now a proposed increase to the Congestion Charge, motorists are being hammered from every direction. Many of my constituents feel they’re being priced off the roads by a Mayor who fails to understand life Outer Boroughs.”
While central London residents may have access to multiple public transport options, people in the suburbs have fewer viable alternatives to car use. Local businesses—particularly tradespeople and small enterprises—rely on their vehicles daily and face rising costs that threaten their operations.
Mrs Lopez has already raised her concerns about the Dartford Crossing charge with Ministers and strongly opposed the ULEZ expansion. She is now calling on Havering residents to make their voices heard once again by participating in the TfL consultation, open until Monday 11 August 2025.
“This consultation is a crucial opportunity for local people to challenge a City Hall agenda that continually punishes motorists,” said Mrs Lopez.
TfL has confirmed that residents who have already submitted responses can update their views up until the deadline. The final decision on the charge increase will rest with the Mayor.
