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Way back in summer 2023, TfL announced that the Blackwall Tunnel would soon start charging a toll fee for drivers. The tunnel, which is one of London’s busiest and most important Thames crossings, apparently needs a charge in order to help pay for maintenance – as well as to encourage drivers to use the Silvertown Tunnel.
In November 2024 TfL confirmed exactly how much the toll fees for both the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels would be. The fee will be the same for both tunnels, but it’ll vary in peak and off-peak times – and there will be exemptions.
Nearly two years on, the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnel fees are nearly upon us. The Silvertown crossing opens next week, and on the same day a toll fee will come into effect for both tunnels. Here’s everything you need to know.
When will the toll charge start for the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels?
Make sure you’re ready to pay a fee to use the tunnels from next Monday, April 7.
How much will the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnel toll be?
During peak hours, which are 6am to 10am northbound and 4pm to 7pm southbound on weekdays, car and small van drivers will be charged £4 each way. During off-peak hours, which are at other times and weekends, these drivers will be charged £1.50 each way. At night, between 10pm and 6am, there will be no toll fee.
These fees will slightly change for motorbikes (£1.50 off-peak, £2.50 peak), large vans (£2.50 off-peak, £6.50 peak) and HGVs (£5 off-peak, £10 peak). The same payment system is currently used for the ULEZ.
How to pay the toll
There are a few ways to pay the fee. TfL says the easiest is to use TfL Autopay, which you can register for here. You can add up to five vehicles per account, and it ensures that you always pay the lowest fare for your vehicle type and the time of day you are using the tunnels.
Other methods of payment include:
- Paying online here.
- Using the TfL Pay app
- Paying by phone on 0343 222 2222 (UK), +44 343 222 2222 (international) and 020 7649 9123 (Textphone)
How much will it cost for a roundtrip during peak hours?
If you’re unlucky enough to be using the tunnels in peak times on a roundtrip, cars and small vans will be charged £8, motorbikes will be charged £5, large vans £13 and HGVs £20.
There will also be a number of exemptions, concessions and discounts. All buses, coaches and vehicles with nine seats or more registered with the DVLA are exempt, as are all taxis, blue badge holders and wheelchair-accessible private hire vehicles.
On top of that, NHS staff and patients will be eligible for reimbursements, and a 50 percent discount will be available for low-income drivers in 12 east and south-east London boroughs and the City of London. Small businesses in the boroughs of Newham, Tower Hamlets and Greenwich can apply for a £1 off-peak discount for at least a year.
Three cross-river bus routes (the 108, 129 and SL4) will also be free for at least one year, as well as cross-river trips on the DLR (like those between Cutty Sark and Island Gardens or Woolwich Arsenal and King George V). As previously announced, a free ‘bike bus’ will ferry cyclists through the Silvertown Tunnel.
What’s the reaction been to the charge so far?
As expected, many regular users of the Blackwall Tunnel are not happy about the introduction of a toll fee. There was a petition urging Tower Hamlets Council to consider alternatives to a toll.
Oliver Lord of Clean Cities, a group that campaigns against air pollution, said: ‘How is it fair that residents and businesses in the east are paying for infrastructure such as this and then those in the west expect a blank cheque to fix Victorian bridges?’. He also questioned the decision not to exempt electric vans from the fees, saying this will impact small businesses.
Some climate activists have expressed concerns about the impact of the Silvertown Tunnel on traffic and air pollution.
More recently, City Bridge Foundation (custodian of Tower Bridge) has said the new tolls may have a ‘detrimental’ impact on Tower Bridge. The foundation is concerned that, in order to avoid the Blackwall and Silvertown tolls, motorists will turn to the closest free crossing instead – thereby using Tower Bridge.
How to avoid paying the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnel toll
One way to avoid paying the toll is to only use the tunnels at night, between the hours of 10pm and 6am.
You can also use alternative routes that are not subject to the toll. The Rotherhithe tunnel and Tower Bridge are both nearby crossings that currently do not have a toll, though be warned that the Rotherhithe has rather strict vehicle size limits.
What happens if drivers don’t pay the correct toll?
The penalty charge for non-payment of the new tolls will be £180, though this will be reduced to £90 if paid within two weeks.
Who is eligible for discounted toll charges and exemptions?
Thousands of residents across 13 boroughs can get a 50 percent discount on the toll. Find out who is eligible and how to apply here.
London travel disruption in April 2025: full list of TfL tube and train closures this month.
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