50,000 risk London congestion charge fine

About half the motorists expected to drive into London's new congestion charging zone on Monday risk being fined, figures released yesterday suggest.

With 100,000 cars expected to enter the eight square miles of central London after 7am on Monday, data from Transport for London showed that only 26,000 people had registered by text message to enter the zone, while 8,140 had paid in advance, and 16,170 central London residents had also registered.

That leaves a gap of roughly 50,000 vehicle owners who have not yet registered. Anyone driving in the zone during the congestion charging period has until midnight of that day to register, or faces a fine of up to £80.

Ken Livingstone, the London Mayor who made congestion charging part of his election manifesto, said the introduction of the policy would result in "a bloody day", with people trying to get through to call centres to register and others seeking rat runs. There was a possibility that if people left it to the last minute to set off on their journeys "they would not get through".

With the charge only days away, Mr Livingstone said: "We are so close that the die is cast. We might as well wait and see; there's nothing more I can do."

Those driving on the periphery of the charging zone on Monday can expect some relief from jams. The timing of traffic lights around the zone will be altered to ease movement on the roads.

"It will be a change from radial to orbital management," said Chris Reed, of Transport for London. "We recognise that there will be more traffic looking to go around, rather than through, the zone from Monday. We can now just press a button at the London Traffic Control Centre, which will subtly amend the traffic light timings."

The city of Durham introduced a £2 congestion charging scheme last October, which has been hailed a huge success after it cut traffic by 90 per cent, from 2,000 vehicles to 200 daily on a narrow street near the cathedral.

But whether other towns and cities adopt a similar scheme depends on how the London "experiment" goes. About 35 local authorities have expressed an interest in following suit, notably Bristol and Edinburgh, but none has yet submitted plans to the Department for Transport.

Restating his confidence that the system would work, Mr Livingstone said: "I do not think it is going to fail. If I thought it was going to fail, I would not proceed with it. What might be a problem is that there will be a level of public resistance, but most people take the view that this is something you would not do if you could avoid it.

"The charge aims to cut congestion by 10-15 per cent and help raise £121m in the first two years for public transport projects."

He dismissed claims emerging from a survey by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, which suggested that half of its members think there is a risk that house prices could drop in areas bordering the congestion charging zone.

"The whole property market is sticky at the moment. If house prices fall, it's really nothing to do with me, even though I expect the press will blame me for it."

How to pay

* Buy a daily ticket in shops or car parks that display the congestion charging or PayPoint sign.

* By telephone. Call 0845 900 1234 with your car registration number and credit card details.

* On the internet at www.cclondon.com.

* By text message. Once you have registered on the phone or Web, you can text a special code to a number provided.

* By post. Get the 'Paying the congestion charge' form by writing to: Congestion charging, PO Box 2985, Coventry CV7 8ZR.

* Central London residents can get a discount.