Drivers in London hit with Blackwall and Silvertown Tunnel price increase months after Congestion Charge and Dart Charge hikes

The war on motorists will intensify in September when Transport for London hits motorists with higher charges to use two road tunnels in the capital. TfL is increasing the cost to use the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels by 5 per cent from September 21 to 'manage traffic demand'. It's the second sting on drivers in London in 2026 following the hike to the Congestion Charge from £15 to £18 in January. The increase also follows the Government's decision to raise the Dart Charge by 40 per cent 12 months ago, when it also cited efforts to improve congestion levels. The charge to use both the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels will rise for cars and small vans from £4 to £4.20 at peak times from Monday to Friday – northbound between 6am and 10am and southbound between 4pm and 7pm, it has been confirmed. The cost of using them at any other time will rise to £1.55 for car drivers, up from £1.50. TfL is increasing the cost of using the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels by 5% from Monday 21 September to 'manage traffic demand'. Pictured: the North-side entrance to Silvertown tunnel Are London drivers being unfairly targeted with constant new charges and tolls? What's your view?Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels are located in east London and connect the Greenwich Peninsula on the south side with Poplar and Silvertown (Newham) on the north side. Some 91,000 to 100,000 vehicles use the road tunnels underneath the Thames on a typical working day. For years, Blackwall Tunnel has been a major commuting pinch point, though the opening of the Silvertown Tunnel has reduced bottlenecks in the last year and a half. Christina Calderato, director of strategy at TfL, said: 'The tunnel user charges are designed to manage traffic demand, which then enables wider objectives like improving the road network's performance and resilience, encouraging use of public transport and active travel, and supporting economic growth. 'Without the tunnel user charge, there would be more traffic and congestion, with negative impacts on air quality and journey times.' Referencing the 'small increase to the tunnel user charges to account for inflation,' she said the higher prices will 'ensure the user charge remains at the right level to manage traffic demand at the tunnels and achieve the project's other objectives effectively'. For Heavy Goods Vehicles, the cost jumps to £5.25 each way off-peak and £10.50 at peak times. Off-peak charges will rise by 25p to £5.25. Large van drivers will pay £6.80 at peak times for the crossings from September 21, an increase of 30p. Off-peak charges for large vans will rise by 10p to £2.60. Standard off-peak charges for motorbikes and mopeds will rise to £1.55. Peak charges will rise from £2.50 to £2.60. For years, Blackwall Tunnel has been a major commuting pinch point, though the opening of the Silvertown Tunnel has reduced bottlenecks in the last year and a half A map highlighting the locations of both the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels Drivers can sign up to TfL's Auto Pay system to avoid one-off payments. Records show that more than 3.7 million vehicles are now signed up for Auto Pay, up from around 2.65 million in January 2025. TfL claims that almost 85 per cent of tunnel user charges are now paid via Auto Pay. Penalty charge notices for non-payment are £180, reduced to £90 if paid within two weeks, with a maximum of one PCN per day. Before the Silvertown Tunnel opened in April 2025, the Blackwall Tunnel had been toll-free since it was built in 1897. The increase comes just less than 16 months after the opening of the Silvertown Tunnel in April 2025. Constructed at a long-term financial cost in the region of £2.2billion, it was designed to reduce congestion in the existing Blackwall Tunnel, which had been notorious for gridlock for years while it remained toll-free. TfL says the opening of the second tunnel has reduced journey times by up to 58 per cent and has had a positive impact on local air quality, with concentrations of nitrogen dioxide in the area declining by 17 per cent. Some 91,00 to 100,000 vehicles use the road tunnels underneath the River Thames on a typical working day The rise comes nine months after the 20 per cent increase to the Congestion Charge, which coincided with the end of exemptions for electric cars, with EV drivers now entitled only to a 25 per cent discount provided they are registered with Auto Pay. And the tunnel hikes will come a year after the Department for Transport raised the Dart Charge from £2.50 to £3.50. Lilian Greenwood, former Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Department for Transport, claimed at the time that the decision was purely aimed at 'managing traffic'. However, data shared exclusively with the Daily Mail and This is Money showed that traffic volumes increased in the month after the Dart Charge price was inflated. The crossing, which is made up of the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge travelling southbound and the two Dartford tunnels heading northbound, connects Thurrock in Essex with Dartford in Kent and is used by more than 150,000 vehicles per day on average.