Thank you to all members for responding to the Silvertown and Blackwall tunnels user charge consultation that took place between 10 July and 3 September 2024, which received over 5,000 responses.
Following the consultation, TFL’s recommendations were presented to the TfL Board which, following a meeting on 4 December 2024, have now been agreed and will come into effect when the Silvertown Tunnel opens in spring 2025.
The decision of the TfL Board was informed by the consultation responses that they received, which considered the possible impacts of the proposed charges, discounts and exemptions.
The consultation report, which summarises the issues raised in the consultation and TfL’s response to them, can be viewed here. The charges the TfL Board has agreed are set out below:
Charges will apply from 06:00 to 22:00 seven days a week. For drivers registered for Auto Pay, the off-peak rate of £1.50 for cars, motorcycles and small vans would apply the majority of the time.
To manage traffic congestion during the busiest times, there will be a peak charge for four hours northbound in the morning (from 06:00 to 10:00) and three hours southbound in the evening (from 16:00 to 19:00), Monday to Friday.
People using the tunnels at night (22:00-06:00) will not pay anything. To help residents, small businesses and charities, and to support people to use new public transport connections, a wide range of concessions and discounts is being provided, including a 50% discount available for low-income residents in 12 east and south east London boroughs and the City of London.
Bus journeys made on three cross-river routes will be zero-emission and free for one year. There will also be an increase in the number of buses able to cross the river from six to 21 buses an hour in each direction during the busiest times between 07:00 to 07:00 Monday to Friday.
Cross-river journeys on the DLR from Cutty Sark to Island Gardens, and from Woolwich Arsenal to King George V will also be free for at least one year. The cross-river cycle shuttle-bus, which was consulted on in summer 2023, will allow people with bikes to safely cross the river via a high frequency bus service for cyclists between Silvertown and North Greenwich.
This service, provided by zero-emission buses and operating between 06:30 and 21:30 seven days a week, will operate for at least three years and also be free to use for at least the first year of operation.
Applications for discounts and exemptions will open in early 2025. You can sign up if you would like to receive updates or visit Silvertown Tunnel - Transport for London (tfl.gov.uk) for more information.
