Mayor to consider congestion charge exemption for social care staff

London Mayor Ken Livingstone has agreed to consider allowing
local authority or voluntary sector social care staff an exemption
from the capital’s new congestion charge, writes
David Brown.

Trade unions are now collecting evidence to support their
campaign for social care staff to be exempted from the £5
congestion charge, which is set to be introduced on Monday 17
February.

The review will not now take place though until after the charge
has been introduced.

Julian Cooke, research officer at Greater London Unison, said:
“At last there appears to be some progress with a recognition from
the mayor’s office that people like social workers need their
cars for work.”

At present the only workers who will have the charge refunded by
Transport for London because of their jobs are NHS staff on
emergency calls or carrying patient records or equipment ,and
firefighters who travel between stations.

A spokesperson for Transport for London said: “At this stage
they (social care staff) will not be exempt from the congestion
charge, but the situation will be reviewed once we see how the
system is working”.