The Open Guide to London: the free London guide

From 17 February 2003, driving in central London during office hours has incurred a congestion charge. Originally it was set at £5, but that rose to £8 in July 2005. This scheme is the work of Mayor Ken Livingstone. The borough council of the City of Westminster challenged the scheme in court, but they lost and so it went ahead.

It has proven to be quite a success, cutting traffic in the city centre by anything between 10 and 30% depending on which report you read. Traffic flows much better, cab drivers love it, and bus services are more reliable.

• Background on and ideas behind the scheme
• Details of the scheme
• Court judgement on the City of Westminster's appeal against the scheme
• A dissenting view