The London congestion charge is a fee for motorists travelling within the Congestion Charge Zone (CCZ), a traffic area in London.

The zone was introduced in Central London on February 17, 2003, and extended into parts of West London on February 19, 2007.

Each vehicle that travels within the zone between 7am and 6pm, Monday-Friday, pays an £8 fee. A fine of between £60 and £180 is levied for non-payment.

On the first day 190,000 vehicles moved into or within the zone during charging hours, a decrease of around 25 per cent on normal traffic levels.

Some vehicles such as buses, minibuses, taxis, ambulances, fire engines and police vehicles, motorcycles, and bicycles are exempt from the charge.

In October 2002, England's first congestion charging scheme was introduced in Durham. It was restricted to a single road in that city, with a £2 charge.

Edinburgh City Council proposed a congestion zone, but this was rejected in a postal referendum by around 75 per cent of voters.

Manchester proposed a peak time congestion charge scheme, which would have been implemented in 2011/2012.

This was rejected in a referendum held in December 2008.

A few other cities around the world already use, or have tried, congestion pricing schemes, including Singapore, Rome, Valletta, Stockholm, and Milan.