Drivers in London could face another extra charge as soon as 2025

Drivers in London could soon face a charge of up to £4 to use the Blackwall and new Silvertown tunnel.

Provisional road signs released by Transport for London (TfL) inform drivers they will need to pay to use the tunnels from 2025.

The Blackwall tunnel is currently free to use but when the Silvertown tunnel is completed and opens in two years both will be tolled.

The tunnels have to be tolled to prevent traffic diverting from one to the other.

They will be tolled from 6am until 10pm, according to official documents released on TfL’s website.

Motorcyclists will pay up to £3, car drivers up to £4 and other vehicles up to £8.50.

Drivers will apparently be charged for each crossing, not for a return journey.

But the document states ‘the numerals indicating the charges may be varied as appropriate.’

TfL and London Mayor Sadiq Khan confirmed no decision had been made – and said the figures were simply ‘placeholders’ used to illustrate the design layout of the signs.

Confirmation of the actual toll amount is not expected until closer to the time the Silvertown tunnel opens.

It is expected the charges will be broadly in line with the Dart Charge levied on drivers to use the Dartford crossings. Car drivers pay £2.50 and larger vehicles £6.

But it seems TfL has been granted the power to levy the toll under its congestion charging powers.

There will also be signs advising drivers they are approaching a tunnel they need to pay to use – and will indicate how to divert to a toll-free alternative route.

Mr Khan has been accused of hypocrisy for building the Silvertown tunnel while campaigning globally on air pollution and climate change.

But Mr Khan argues it will decrease pollution in the Blackwall tunnel by decreasing the amount of traffic.

It has been suggested residents in Newham and Greenwich will receive a discount.

The designs were approved by transport secretary Mark Harper on Wednesday and it is understood earlier versions of the signs were approved by the DfT last year.

A spokesperson for the Stop the Silvertown tunnel, which spotted the DfT approval of the road signs, said: ‘Ulez expansion faced fierce resistance – but it also had political support, because it was intended to reduce existing pollution.

‘The proposed new toll on the Blackwall tunnel brings no benefits at all; it is there only to remove the new, extra traffic, congestion, pollution and CO2 emissions that will be generated by the Mayor’s own Silvertown tunnel.

‘The decision as to whether to toll Blackwall or not is a decision that will be made by the next mayor – and, right now, it is a lose/lose decision – either they will take the politically difficult step of charging motorists to use an existing crossing just to bring traffic and congestion back to the status quo, or they will decide not to charge, and allow traffic, congestion, pollution and CO2 to ramp up by up to 30%, and public health to suffer as a result.

‘The greener, fairer alternative we are advocating is to restrict Silvertown when it opens to just public transport and active travel only.’

A TfL spokesperson said: ‘In order to obtain necessary approvals for the new road signage required for the Silvertown tunnel, a submission for the potential signs has been made to the Department for Transport.

‘No charges have been finalised yet and any times and costs within the submission are indicative to allow for approval to be obtained.

‘The final charges will be made ahead of the Silvertown tunnel opening in 2025 once further modelling, including assessments on concessions, are completed.’

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