Mayor scraps £25 road charge hike

Boris Johnson has scrapped the proposed £25 charge on larger vehicles entering central London after a legal challenge by luxury carmaker Porsche. Porsche said that its case, heard in the Administrative Court, had been a success, adding that it had been awarded legal costs expected to amount to a six-figure sum. The firm launched a judicial review against former mayor Ken Livingstone in February. Mr Johnson issued a statement saying he was "delighted" to be able to scrap the charge. Mr Livingstone had planned to raise the charge for vehicles with the highest carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to £25 in October. Mr Johnson told the BBC abandoning the proposal was in keeping with his aim to achieve a "fairer and more effective" congestion charge. Mr Livingstone said it was a "further blow" to London's attempts to help tackle climate... [read full story]