The widely-disliked London Congestion Charge is hitting car and van hire firms hard, according to statistics published by rental firm Sixt. The German firm, which has fifteen branches in Greater London, says that it had to pay out £212,000 last year thanks to rental customers who failed to pay the congestion charge.
Some of these non-payments may be due to ignorance. Sixt rental operations director Bob Baillie says that the company has found that “a large percentage of business travellers from outside London are unfamiliar with the Congestion zones.” However, Baillie also admitted that “having to pay up to £100 each for non-payment is a bitter pill to swallow.”
To help people unfamiliar with the London Congestion Charge system, Sixt has produced an excellent guide to the LCC. For those who aren’t familiar, the congestion charging zone includes the City, Southark, Lambeth, Finsbury, Westminster, Soho, Marylebone, Hyde Park, Kensington, Chelsea and Notting Hill – plus a few more areas (see here for a map).
To learn more or to pay the congestion charge, visit the official Transport for London Congestion Charging website at: www.cclondon.com
