Via The Daily Telegraph:

“The London congestion charge has failed to cause a significant reduction in delays on the capital’s roads, it emerged yesterday. In the last two years the congestion endured by drivers in central London has actually got worse, according to Transport for London figures.The amount of traffic entering the zone during charging hours has been cut by around 20 per cent since the charge was introduced in 2003, but this has been largely offset by a reduction in the capacity of the capital’s roads, due to road works and the introduction of bus lanes. Congestion fell by 30 per cent in the first year of the charging scheme but is now only 8 per cent below precharging levels. The weswtward extension of the charging zone next week is expected to increase congestion in central London, as motorists living in Kensington and Chelsea will be entitled to discounted access to the existing zone. “