C-charge rise 'inevitable'

The congestion charge could rise by £1 a day, motorists were warned today.

Public transport users also face inflation-busting price hikes.

Motoring organisations said a £6 toll was "inevitable" after Ken Livingstone admitted the charge would "almost certainly" rise above inflation.

A £1-a-day rise would mean extra costs for motorists of up to £20 a month or around £200 a year.

The warning came after the Mayor said during a radio interview it was "absolutely clear" the charge would rise during his second term.

Asked whether it would be above inflation he replied: "Almost certainly. How much or when I still don't know."

Mr Livingstone said he would decide on prices in the next few weeks, adding that budget meetings had already begun with transport officials.

And he warned he was determined to take "painful" decisions in order to keep investing in transport.

The RAC Foundation said anything less than a £1 rise was "highly unlikely".

Mr Livingstone also said above-inflation fares rises were necessary to fund major transport programmes in London.

"After decades of neglect, the last spending review provided London with the possibility to carry out the investment programme necessary to transform the city's transport system," he said in a statement issued later.

" We will be investing £2.9 billion in London's transport system over the next five years - the biggest transport investment programme London has seen since the Second World War.

"The final piece of the jigsaw that needs to fall into place to give London the transport system-it requires is Crossrail. Carrying through this huge investment programme will require an above-inflation increase in fares."

Edmund King, executive director of the RAC Foundation, questioned why there should be any increase in the congestion charge. "We have been consistently told by Transport for London that the scheme was introduced to reduce congestion rather than raise revenue," he said.