Silvertown and Blackwall tunnels user charge

Summary

Plans for the Silvertown Tunnel were first developed in 2012. When it opens in 2025, the new tunnel will help reduce congestion and deliver faster, more reliable journeys in east London, making travel times up to 20 minutes quicker. There will also be a significant increase in bus services across the river and a new bus shuttle through the tunnel for cyclists.

To deliver the benefits of the tunnel and cover the construction costs, charges will apply on both the Silvertown and Blackwall tunnels. A supporting package of discounts and concessions will also be made available to make the scheme as green and fair as possible.

The video below explains why we are building the Silvertown Tunnel and what we are asking for your feedback on.

Tackling local issues

Local residents and businesses currently face chronic congestion in the area around the Blackwall Tunnel. The Victorian-era tunnel suffers from frequent closures - more than 700 times a year – which results in large tailbacks, poor air quality and millions of hours lost due to drivers being trapped in traffic. The new tunnel linking Silvertown in east London to the Greenwich Peninsula will reduce journey times and help manage air pollution.

Delivering benefits

To deliver the benefits of the tunnel and cover the construction costs charges will apply on both the Silvertown and Blackwall tunnels.

Without these charges, traffic would increase in both tunnels, drivers would continue to experience major delays and air pollution would increase.

The requirement to charge for the tunnels was confirmed in the Development Consent Order (DCO) made by the Secretary of State for Transport in 2018 (Silvertown Tunnel Order 2018).

Who will pay?

We propose:

• There would be no charge at any time for taxis, blue badge holders, zero-emission capable and wheelchair-accessible private hire vehicles registered with TfL and DVLA-registered minibuses, buses and coaches
• Charges would apply from 06:00 to 22:00, seven days a week. The standard off-peak rate of £1.50 for cars, motorbikes and small vans would apply for the majority of the time for all vehicles registered for Auto Pay
• To manage traffic during the busiest times, peak charges would apply. Peak charges are £1 more than standard off-peak charges for motorbikes and an extra £2.50 for cars and small vans
  
  
• These peak charges would apply 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

Discounts and supporting measures

To help residents and businesses, and to support people to use new public transport connections , TfL has proposed a package of discounts and concessions to make the scheme as green and fair as possible.

Discounts include:

• A 50 per cent discount for low-income drivers living in east London
• A £1 discount on the standard off-peak charge for small businesses and charities in the host boroughs (RB Greenwich, LB Newham and LB Tower Hamlets)

Our green and fair package of supporting measures include:

• New buses - 21 zero-emission buses (at tailpipe) per hour crossing the river at peak times (15 in the Silvertown Tunnel, six in the Blackwall Tunnel) including the SL4 Superloop route
  
  
• Free cycle bus provision (at least 12 months) - A regular cross-river cycle shuttle-bus bus service through the Silvertown Tunnel for cyclists, free for at least 12 months
  
  
• Bus concession to support local residents (at least 12 months) - Bus concessions, providing free trips to support local residents to use the new cross-river bus services which will run through the tunnel (Route 108, 129 and SL4)
  
  
• Free DLR journeys (at least 12 months)- Free journeys on the DLR by refunding trips directly between the following station pairs:
  
  
  • Cutty Sark - Island Gardens
  • Woolwich Arsenal - King George V
    
    
• Additional river crossings in east London - This is part of the longer-term plan in east London to improve river crossings. Along with the Silvertown Tunnel, work to extend the DLR from Gallions Reach to Thamesmead is progressing. The ferry crossing from Rotherhithe to Canary Wharf is also being improved, with new vessels being introduced soon

The green and fair package as set out above does not form part of this consultation.

Why Charge

The purpose of a user charge for the Silvertown and Blackwall tunnels is to manage traffic effectively and deliver the expected economic benefits of the scheme, as well as mitigating the environmental impacts.

Without a charge for using the tunnels, we would likely see high levels of traffic and congestion, which would lead to detrimental impacts on the environment as well as longer journey times.

The revenue from the charges will also help fund the construction, maintenance and operating costs of the Silvertown Tunnel.

The user charge for the Silvertown and Blackwall tunnels will support our delivery of the following benefits:

Better and more reliable journey times for river crossings

• Reduce delays and queues at the Blackwall Tunnel, with journey times typically up to 20 minutes quicker during the peak periods

• Additional network resilience by providing an alternative crossing when the Blackwall Tunnel is closed
• Reduce the environmental impact of traffic congestion on some of London's most polluted roads
  
  

More and improved public transport opportunities

• 21 zero-emission buses (at tailpipe) per hour crossing the river at peak times. We will monitor demand and respond accordingly

• Retention of route 108 (Stratford International station to Lewisham station) via the Blackwall Tunnel, extension of route 129 (currently Lewisham to North Greenwich, will be extended to Great Eastern Quay), new route Superloop SL4 (Grove Park to Canary Wharf)
  
  
• Bus concessions to provide free trips to support local residents to use the new cross-river bus services which will run through the tunnel (Route 108, 129 and SL4)
  
  
• A new cross-river cycle bus shuttle service, free for at least 12 months
  
  
• DLR concessions to provide free trips to support local residents making journeys from King George V - Woolwich Arsenal and Island Gardens - Cutty Sark
  
  

Environmental and local land use improvements

Our extensive development work has shown the new crossing, user charge and cross-river bus network, will help cut congestion, support sustainable growth of new homes and jobs, while managing air quality.

Further detail on these impacts can be found our user charge assessment framework document and on our Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA).

Charge Level Proposals

Charges would be the same for both the Silvertown Tunnel and Blackwall Tunnel and we propose that most customers would pay a lower off-peak charge for the majority of their journeys.

Charges apply each time a crossing is made between 06:00 and 22:00 every day except Christmas Day.

User charges differ based on:

1. Time of day and direction of travel - Only trips made at the busiest times of day and in the busiest direction (06:00-10:00 northbound and 16:00-19:00 southbound) would cost more.
2. Day of the week
   
   
3. Vehicle type
   
   
4. Whether you qualify for a discount / exemption, for example if you live in east London and are on a low income
   
   
5. Payment method:

• Auto Pay - For customers registered for Auto Pay this would include off-peak / peak time variations dependent on the direction of travel, meaning most trips would be charged at standard off-peak charges
  
  
• Other payment channels (Online, Mobile app or Contact Centre ) - Customers who pay via other channels would pay the peak charges at all times

(Click on the image for a larger version)

Discounts and Exemptions

We are proposing the following discounts and exemptions to support certain people or in respect of certain vehicle types and journeys where we consider it is fair and justified to do so.

To jump to the relevant section, click on the links below. For further information on eligibility please see our discounts, exemptions and reimbursements detailed note.

Discounts

Exemptions

Reimbursements

Discounts

50 per cent discount for east London low-income residents

This discount would be for a period of at least three years. To qualify individuals must live within an east London borough and be in receipt of certain benefits.

The proposed eligible benefits are:

• Income Support
• Income-related Employment & Support Allowance
• Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
• Universal Credit
• Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit
• Working Tax Credit
• Carer’s Allowance and
• Housing Benefit

Residents must live in Barking & Dagenham, Bexley, Bromley, City of London Corporation, Greenwich, Hackney, Havering, Lewisham, Newham, Redbridge, Southwark, Tower Hamlets or Waltham Forest.

£1 business discount on standard off-peak charges

This discount would be for a period of at least 12 months. Eligible small businesses, sole traders and charities based in the host boroughs can register a maximum of three vehicles to receive a £1 discount on standard off-peak charges.

100 per cent Discount

• Recovery and breakdown vehicles
  
  
• Vehicles with 9+ seats
  
  
• Blue Badge holders - individuals can register up to two vehicles that would be used to travel though Silvertown or Blackwall tunnels. This could be their own vehicle, or one they travel in
  
  
• Certain operational vehicles used by the host boroughs
  
  
• Zero-Emission Capable and Wheelchair Accessible private hire vehicles (PHVs)
  

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Exemptions

Following vehicles would be exempted:

• Taxis (Black Cabs)
  
  
• Emergency services vehicles
  
  
• NHS vehicles exempt from vehicle tax
  
  
• Vehicles in the disabled tax class
  
  
• Military vehicles in use

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Reimbursements

NHS Patient Reimbursement - NHS patients are eligible for reimbursement if they are clinically assessed as too ill, weak or disabled to travel to an appointment on public transport, and any of following apply:

• Have a compromised immune system (problems with your immune system)
• Require recurrent surgical intervention
  
  

NHS Staff Reimbursement

More Information

Further details about the user charge and the procedure which we must follow when setting the charge are detailed in the Charging Policies and Procedures document.

The DCO (Silvertown Tunnel Order 2018) requires us to exercise our charging functions in accordance with this document.

Our Statement of Charges details the proposed charging policies and procedures for the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels.

More background information on the Silvertown Tunnel can be found here and we have also included Frequently Asked Questions about the proposed changes.

We have provided more information to help you respond:

Accessible Information

We want to make sure everyone is able to take part in our consultations. To help make it accessible to everyone we have provided:

Tell us your views

You can reply by completing our survey, which should take no more than 10 minutes to complete or if you are short on time, you can submit a quick response.

The closing date for comments is Tuesday 3 September 2024.

Questions?

You can use our question tool during the consultation period. We will respond to your questions as soon as we can.

You can also contact us by email, via our telephone call back service (020 3054 6037) or in writing (FREEPOST TFL HAVE YOUR SAY)