Uber passengers will be charged an extra £1 for journeys in London’s congestion zone from next week.
The popular taxi service said that the additional funds will contribute to the £11.50 daily fee its drivers must pay when entering the congestion zone in the city centre.
From Monday, a £1 surcharge will be added to all trips that enter the busy central zone, even though the charge only applies between 7am and 6pm on weekdays.
Passengers using Uber Pool, the car-sharing service, or wheelchair accessible vehicles will be exempt from the fee, however.
A spokesperson for Uber said: “The central London fee, adding £1 to trips in the capital, will go directly to drivers to help them cover the new congestion charge.
“By exempting Uber Pool trips, we will help reduce traffic and toxicity in London. “We share many of the same goals as the cities that we serve and are committed to addressing the same challenges: reducing individual car ownership, expanding transport access and tackling air pollution.”
Monday 8 April will also see the launch of the ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ).
The initiative has been introduced in an effort to reduce the capital’s toxic levels of air pollution.
Deadly gases and particulates in the air have been linked to thousands of premature deaths across the country and the capital is one of the worst affected areas.
