It’s not true that all drivers now have to pay £100 to enter London

A video is circulating on social media claiming that from 1 October “every single driver entering central London will face a £100 charge”.

But this isn’t true. Although some vans, HGVs, lorries and specialist vehicles that do not meet emissions standards have to pay a £100 charge, this doesn’t apply to all drivers and isn’t new. We could find no evidence of any new vehicle charges introduced in London on 1 October.

The video has been shared more than 1,000 times on TikTok and says “just driving through Oxford Street, Soho, Westminster will cost you a full £100”.

It’s true that many drivers have to pay some sort of charge for driving in the centre of the capital most of the time (known as the congestion charge). This includes Oxford Street, Soho and part of Westminster.

But the congestion charge is £15 a day (not £100). It applies between 7am and 6pm Monday to Friday, and midday to 6pm on weekends and bank holidays and there is no charge on Christmas Day, the New Year's Day bank holiday or the days in between.

The congestion charge has existed in London for more than 20 years, although the cost has changed in that time.

Emissions charges

If vehicles do not meet certain emissions standards, they may also have to pay to enter the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) or Low Emission Zone (LEZ), which cover most of Greater London and operate 24 hours a day, every day of the year (although the ULEZ does not operate on Christmas Day).

The ULEZ is enforced based on the declared emissions of the vehicle rather than its age. But, generally speaking, petrol cars that meet the ULEZ standards (and so don’t have to pay a charge) are those first registered as new with the DVLA after 2005.

Diesel cars that meet the standards are generally those first registered with the DVLA as new after September 2015.

Trips of any length within the ULEZ zone mean drivers of non-compliant vehicles have to pay a £12.50 daily charge, which includes the zone’s residents. However, you don't need to pay the ULEZ charge on a particular day if your vehicle is parked inside the zone and you don't drive it.

Again, this charge is far less than the £100 cited in the video, even if it is combined with the congestion charge because the driver enters central London. The penalty for not paying the ULEZ charge is £180, which is reduced to £90 if paid within 14 days.

These are the charges for cars, vans, minibuses and lighter specialist vehicles that don’t meet the emission standards, as well as motorcycles and mopeds.

However, buses, coaches and minibuses over five tonnes Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW), as well as other vehicle types such as HGVs and lorries over 3.5 tonnes GVW, do not pay the ULEZ charge. Instead they need to pay the LEZ charge if they do not meet the LEZ emissions standards.

The LEZ charge is either £100 or £300 a day depending on the vehicle type, weight and emissions.

These charges are not new. London has had a low emission zone for larger vehicles like buses, lorries and coaches since 2008. The ULEZ was introduced in 2019.

The video is not authentic

These clips feature audio that sounds like the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, but there are clear signs that this audio is not genuine.

First of all, the cadence of the audio clips is extremely even and the intonation sounds stiff and unnatural, which suggests they may be AI-generated. We can’t rule out that they have been faked in another way, for example by using an impersonator, although that’s less likely. You can read more about how to spot AI audio, and the challenges of doing this, in our guide.

It is also very unlikely the Prime Minister would criticise his own policy while announcing it, when he supposedly says “many are questioning if it’s truly the best approach”.

The videos also feature old footage of Mr Starmer. A reverse image search reveals the first clip of Mr Starmer is actually from an appearance before the House of Commons Liaison Committee in December 2024, which did not discuss any plans to charge a £100 fee to drivers entering London. Full Fact matched Mr Starmer’s outfit and the people sitting behind him to the viral video.

We have fact checked many videos in recent weeks making false claims about fake government policies, often with inauthentic audio of the Prime Minister, such as false claims of a driving crackdown, new parking rules, and a new £15 clean water levy.

Before sharing videos like this that you see online, first consider whether they come from a trustworthy and verifiable source. You can find guides and tips in our Full Fact toolkit to help you navigate information online.