Silvertown tunnel toll levels confirmed by Transport for London

Transport for London have confirmed the level of tolls through both Silvertown and Blackwall tunnels from 2025.

A press release highlights the results of a consultation while a huge document to go before TfL’s Board next week covers their responses and subsequent decisions.

And of those decisions? Basically nothing of substance has changed since TfL first revealed tolling proposals. The consultation report stretches hundreds and hundreds of pages.

Cars will pay £1.50 off-peak and £4 in the peak. Many council responses alongside various groups noted the off-peak is cheaper than a single bus fare.

Tolls will apply between 6am and 10pm which Tower Hamlets questioned, stating concerns over safety. Presumably drivers breaking the speed limit on approach as well as congestion in the immediate run up to 6am.

Local residents will receive a 50 per cent discount if designated low-income in 12 east and south east London boroughs and the City of London. That includes those on a number of benefits including Universal Credit.

The full list of boroughs is Barking & Dagenham, Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Hackney, Havering, Lewisham, Newham, Redbridge, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest and the City of London.

Benefits for discounted tolls include 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.

Blue Badge holders will see a 100 per cent discount.

A number of petitions were submitted to TfL in response to tolling but it turns out that Conservative MP Louie French – who has made much of his apparent opposition – didn’t submit his petition to TfL.

A cynic might think it was simply a data fishing exercise so now he can issue campaign material directly to those who signed it. Not me though. Oh no.

Greenwich Council asked for HGV tolls to be £10 rather than £5 off-peak which is cheaper than the Dartford crossing. The tunnel however is designed with lorry use in mind and HGVs will be able to use the bus lane.

Other tolls are:

• £2.50 off-peak and £6.50 peak time for Large Vans
• £5 off peak and £10 peak for HGVs
• £2.50 motorbikes at peak time

Traffic

While some respondents opposed tolls due to those in the west of London having free cross-river routes, others thought the level was too low and would lead to traffic displacement to the Woolwich ferry and Rotherhithe tunnels which remain free.

TfL state that won’t happen. In fact they claim they’ll be a reduction of use at both. We’ll see about that. Avoiding £4 isn’t to be sniffed at for some.

TfL’s press release contains the usual one-sided promotional material for the tunnel which is being built and operated by private company Riverlinx.

As ever they focus on the northbound morning congestion and ignore southbound afternoon congestion seen daily for miles along the A2 and A102. Two tunnels instead of one will feed onto those same existing roads in 2025.

Earlier today I was looking at traffic levels given tomorrow sees the start of the Greenwich Low Traffic Neighbourhood scheme and yep, miles of congestion southbound just after 4pm. This is the norm for many, many years.

This is something TfL and Mayor Sadiq Khan almost always ignore in public statements.

In addition TfL last year upped expected traffic levels southbound each afternoon under revised traffic modelling in a report before the Silvertown Tunnel Implementation Group which consists of local councils.

Transport

As for the cycle bus that’s still on the way, though many approach roads remain dire on a bicycle including routes towards the new footbridge installed due to increased traffic lanes.

They’re sticking with the rather odd free DLR trip idea from Cutty Sark to Island Gardens and Woolwich Arsenal to King George V on the DLR. How many people ever take that trip?

As for buses we know the earlier suggestions of 37.5 buses on average per hour though the tunnels is now down to just 21 in peak times – of which one is the existing 108 route.

In the end after hundreds of pages and thousands of responses the only changes are “minor amendments to ensure that electric vans do not risk being charged more due to their weight placing them in a higher user charge category, and expanding the discount for borough refuse vehicles to cover all east London boroughs”.

The tunnel will open in spring 2025.

 

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