A South London council has labelled the proposed Silvertown and Blackwall tunnel charge exemptions as a ‘kick in the teeth’. Bexley Council has claimed Transport for London (TfL) had failed to address concerns from the authority on the proposed charges before approving them.
The claim follows TfL announcing the finalised set of charges for drivers using the tunnels from April 7, when the new tunnel is set to open. Under the confirmed charges, low-income drivers in 12 boroughs in East and South East London will receive a 50 per cent discount on the charges. Small businesses and sole traders registered in Tower Hamlets, Newham and Greenwich will also reportedly benefit from a £1 discount for at least a year.
Bexley Council has said that it had asked for a thorough assessment of the economic consequences of such charges before they were finalised. It criticised the £1 discount for local businesses not being extended to cover Bexley, claiming the charges would put an extra burden on small businesses in the borough that rely on cars and vans.
Bexley Council criticised the £1 discount for local businesses not being extended to cover the borough
(Image: Google Earth)
Conservative Councillor Richard Diment, Bexley Council’s Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, said: “This is another kick in the teeth for our residents and small businesses. We need a more comprehensive package of concessions and for the area of coverage for resident discounts to be extended to Bexley given the lack of modern public transport links serving the borough.”
He added: “We have long been campaigning for better transport links and for a broader commitment on public transport investment but this has once again been ignored.”
The authority had previously called for charges to use the Blackwall Tunnel to be scrapped altogether at a meeting last November. The new charge for using the tunnels will apply between 6am and 10pm every day.
Cars, motorbikes and small vans will be charged £1.50 during off-peak hours under the confirmed charges and £4 during peak times using TfL Auto Pay. Large vans will see fees of £2.50 during off-peak and £6.50 in peak hours, while charges will rise to £5 and £10 respectively for heavy goods vehicles.
Peak hour charges will apply on weekdays from 6am to 10am for northbound journeys and 4pm to 7pm on southbound trips. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has also confirmed that a cycle shutter service and three bus routes through the tunnels will be free to use for at least a year following its opening, alongside free travel on DLR journeys between Cutty Sark and Island Gardens as well as Woolwich Arsenal and King George V.
A TfL spokesperson told MyLondon that the Silvertown Tunnel will help to reduce journey times and manage air pollution in the city, with journeys expected to be up to 20 minutes quicker at peak times. They added the move will support economic growth and allow for the number of zero emission buses crossing the river in this area to increase from six to 21 hour in both directions
They said: “Due to the proximity of the tunnels to each other, without the introduction of a user charge at both tunnels, there would likely be high levels of traffic and congestion which would lead to detrimental air quality impacts, as well as longer journey times.”
They added: “To help residents and businesses, a wide range of concessions and discounts will be available, including a 50 per cent discount which would be available for low-income residents in surrounding areas, including Bexley. The Rotherhithe tunnel and Woolwich ferry will also still allow drivers to cross the river in East London without paying a user charge and buses using both crossings will be free for at least the first year.”
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