TfL has set out a green and fair package of concessions and discounts to support Londoners and businesses when the Silvertown tunnel opens in 2025.
East London residents and businesses currently face chronic congestion in the area around the Blackwall Tunnel. The Victorian-era tunnel suffers from frequent closures – more than 700 times a year – which results in large tailbacks, poor air quality and millions of hours lost due to drivers being trapped in traffic. The new modern tunnel linking Silvertown in east London to the Greenwich Peninsula will reduce journey times and help manage air pollution. It will also support economic growth and allow TfL to increase the number of buses able to cross the river in this area from five to 21 buses an hour in each direction during the busiest times between 7am to 7pm Monday to Friday – all of which will be zero emission at the tailpipe.
Tunnel user charges – required as part of the development consent for the new tunnel and first proposed in 2012 – will be introduced for using the Silvertown and Blackwall Tunnels between 06:00 and 22:00, seven days a week once the new Silvertown Tunnel opens in spring 2025.
It is proposed that the standard off-peak rate of £1.50 for cars, motorbikes and small vans would apply the majority of the time for vehicles registered for TfL AutoPay. To manage traffic during the busiest times, peak charges will apply. It is proposed that peak charges will be £1 more than standard off-peak charges for motorbikes and an extra £2.50 for cars and small vans, and will apply for four hours northbound in the morning (from 06:00 to 10:00) and three hours southbound in the evening (from 16:00 to 19:00), Monday to Friday.
During the eight-week consultation, Londoners will be able to comment on the proposed tunnel user charges, discounts and exemptions. This will enable TfL to ensure the user charge and range of discounts, both of which will be subject to the approval of the TfL Board, have been informed by feedback from the public.
The proximity of the two tunnels has meant that, since the plans were first conceived, both need to be charged to ensure that traffic levels do not increase as a result of drivers seeking to use the uncharged crossing.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “Local residents and business owners currently face chronic congestion and pollution in the area around the Blackwall Tunnel. When it opens in 2025, the long-planned new Silvertown tunnel will help deliver quicker, more reliable journeys in east London by easing congestion and making journeys up to 20 minutes faster.
“The Silvertown Tunnel scheme has been years in the making, first developed back 2012. Since I become Mayor in 2016, we have worked to improve it, adding discounts for low-income residents and local businesses, new bus services, a bespoke cycle shuttle service and free cross-river bus and DLR transport for at least the first year. TfL is launching this consultation to get feedback from residents and businesses on the proposals. I encourage Londoners in the area to get involved and have their say.”
