Key NHS staff will not pay

Vital NHS staff are to be exempted from the congestion charge in a last-minute concession by the Mayor.

Following fears that the charge would unfairly hit health workers and put the lives of Londoners at risk, Mr Livingstone has now promised not to impose his charge on doctors, staff carrying medical materials or patient records and on-call staff. Any NHS workers who are able to claim reimbursement from the NHS itself will be able to claim an exemption.

Mr Livingstone today confirmed that the charge will go ahead and said it will start on 17 February 2003. His officials claim the scheme will fund itself, from charges and the £80 fines for those who do not pay, within 18 months.

Announcing that he had signed the formal order, Mr Livingstone said: "For the first time, there will be a serious attempt to tackle the chronic traffic congestion in central London. On the estimates of Transport for London, the scheme will raise a net revenue of £130 million to £150 million annually."

The Mayor says revenue will be used to improve London's transport system for the next 10 years.

Charging hours will run from 7am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, and those exempt include emergency vehicles, motorbikes and mopeds, buses and coaches.

Residents inside the charge zone will receive a 90 per cent discount and there will be 100 per cent discounts for disabled Blue Badge holders, black cabs, licensed mini cabs and firefighters travelling for operational reasons.

The battle over the charge begins now. While the Mayor is determined, those opposed will note that only 2,500 people took part in his consultation and they may argue that is too small to make the consultation viable.

Commenting on the Mayor's decision the Transport Commissioner Bob Kiley said: "This is a major step forward for the city. It's time to get London moving and reduce the traffic jams that are crippling our capital."

Derek Turner, who has " handson" responsibility for the charge, said: "This scheme will cut traffic levels by 10 to 15 per cent and reduce traffic queues by a quarter. We have also planned to introduce 200 new buses with more than 10,000 extra spaces in rush hours to accommodate people transferring to public transport."