Plans to increase the congestion charge for highly polluting vehicles.

The Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, has announced plans to increase the congestion charge for highly polluting vehicles.

Mr Livingstone also revealed that cars with the lowest carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions will receive a 100% discount from the daily charge.

Most drivers will still pay the £8 road toll for entering the zone which covers parts of central and west London.

The new charges come into force on 27 October this year.

Transport for London (TfL) estimates about 33,000 vehicles that will now fall into the £25 charge sector drive into London each day.

It predicts about two-thirds of these will no longer come into the charge zone once the new fee is introduced.

London's Transport Commissioner, Peter Hendy, said the new charges were likely to bring in £30m to £50m a year, with most of this money going on new cycling and walking initiatives.

Mr Livingstone, making the announcement from City Hall on Tuesday, said: "Nobody needs to damage the environment by driving a gas-guzzling Chelsea tractor in central London.

"The CO2 emissions from the most high-powered 4x4s and sports cars can be up to four times as great as the least polluting cars."

Mixed reaction

He said TfL would closely monitor the scheme, adding that the new scheme was flexible and that the charges and exemptions could be varied in the future.

But reaction to the scheme has been mixed.

A spokesman for business group London First said it was "just daft" and - said it would "encourage gridlock".

And the National Alliance Against Tolls said: "This move is not based on logic but on the whipping up of prejudices against those who use these particular vehicles.

Draconian measure

"This is a draconian measure when emission producers such as aircraft going to Heathrow pay no taxes on fuel."

But it was welcomed by environmental groups Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth who said it will encourage people to choose greener cars.

And the Alliance Against Urban 4x4s said: "We look forward to seeing these measures finally doing something positive to reduce dirty, wasteful, unnecessarily large 4x4s and other highly polluting cars from our streets."

The congestion charge was initially introduced in February 2003 and covered just central London, with the daily charge set at £5.

Since then the charge has gone up to £8 a day and a western extension, incorporating such areas as Kensington and Chelsea, has been added.

bbc.co.uk