The increased and extended Congestion Charge

With the Congestion Charge about to increase in price and apply for extended hours, Caroline discussed the situation with BBC Radio London.

"Basically Transport for London have been forced into this position by the deal that was done with the government to bail TfL out, given the financial crisis they face as a result of COVID-19 - their fare income has plummeted, and also their advertising revenues. The government very explicitly put in the deal that the Mayor needed to extend the Congestion Charge.

"But I have to say, whilst it is a big change, we can't afford to have all our roads clogged up. Particularly at the moment, we need buses to keep moving. We also need more pavement space for pedestrians to social distance, and space for cyclists as well. We need to make sure that black taxis can move around, particularly helping people who are disabled to move around London.

"We have managed to get some exemptions - for charities doing work related to the virus, for people in the NHS and in care homes.

"We do need a big debate about road pricing in London, to look at how we manage vehicles on our roads, and to look at a smarter way of doing it."