The peak-hour tolls imposed on the Silvertown and Blackwall tunnels “discriminate” against drivers and businesses in south London, the mayor has been told.
Drivers heading northbound through the tunnels have to pay the £4 premium rate – rather than the £1.50 basic charge - between 6am and 10am on weekdays.
They also have to pay another £4 if they make their “return” journey back to south London between 4pm and 7pm – meaning an £8 round trip.
Drivers starting in north London at the same time and making a similar cross-river round trip would pay £3.
The higher tolls are intended by Transport for London to manage peak-hour demand and incentivise motorists to drive outside the busiest times.
But Baroness O’Neill, the Tory leader of Bexley council, has called for the peak charges to be “equalised” and for an end to the “surcharge for those starting their journey from south of the river”.
In a letter to London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan and TfL commissioner Andy Lord, Baroness O’Neill said the current rates meant that residents and businesses in Bexley “will be paying hundreds of pounds more over the course of a year than someone who journey starts north of the river”.
She wrote: “The uni-directional peak-hour surcharge on cross river journeys through the tunnel means that businesses and residents from Bexley travelling northbound in the morning peak and south in the evening will be paying hundreds of pounds more over the course of a year than someone who journey starts north of the river.
“This places a Bexley resident working north of the river at a significant financial disadvantage.”
Baroness O’Neill sent her letter to coincide with Mr Lord’s report to the TfL board giving the first details of how many drivers were using the tunnels since the Silvertown tunnel opened on April 7 and charges were introduced at Blackwall.
Drivers have been required to pay to use the tunnels since the £2.2bn Silvertown tunnel opened on April 7.
Those who fail to pay risk a £180 fine – though The Standard has revealed that thousands of drivers have escaped punishment due to a “grace period” put in place by TfL until the start of May.
Baroness O’Neill also complained that small businesses in neighbouring boroughs such as Greenwich were entitled to discounts, but Bexley businesses were not.
TfL said that Bexley residents on low incomes were able to apply for a 50 per cent discount on the tunnel charges.
Barones O’Neill said that none of the three bus services that use the two tunnels serve Bexley, and asked TfL to remedy the situation.
“I hope therefore that the TfL board will recognise these concerns that the operational arrangements discriminate against the residents of Bexley who are particularly reliant on these crossings,” she said.
“Residents in Bexley are treated disadvantageously compared to residents in neighbouring boroughs.
“TfL offers discounts for use of the tunnels for small businesses based in the neighbouring boroughs of Greenwich, Newham and Tower Hamlets.
“With no alternative method of crossing the river, except going out to the M25, businesses from Bexley have no option but to use the tunnels if they wish to serve customers north of the river. It is grossly unfair that these discounts do not apply to businesses based in Bexley.
“I believe that these changes could be introduced relatively quickly. However, in the longer term there remains the need to provide improved cross river transport to and from Bexley.
“It remains my firm view that this needs to be addressed by further extending the DLR beyond the planned extension to Thamesmead into Bexley and by extending the Elizabeth Line east from Abbey Wood.”
Mr Lord told the TfL board on Wednesday that Baroness O’Neill’s letter had been circulated to members. “We will respond to it in due course,” he said.
Belmarsh prison, in south-east London, has previously raised concerns about the way the tolls penalise south London.
Last week, TfL said the opening of the Silvertown tunnel and the imposition of tolls on the Blackwall tunnel had reduced cross-river traffic levels by 12 per cent.
A TfL spokesperson said: “Although it is still early days, the initial data we are seeing shows that the new Silvertown tunnel, supported by user charges, has already helped reduced congestion around the Blackwall Tunnel and improved cross-river public transport, with thousands of Londoners using the new, free bus services the tunnel facilitates.
“We are aware of the letter from Councillor Baroness O’Neill of Bexley OBE and will be responding to it in due course. We will also be sharing more detailed analysis with the Silvertown Tunnel Implementation Group later this summer as part of agreed monitoring of the tunnel, as well as continuing to actively monitor traffic along all major roads in London to reduce any congestion when possible.”
