To consider commuting into central London by car?

[Iorderedyouapancake]

I’m expecting to have to start work back in the office in the next couple of months but due to having a shielded member of the household am really very very worried about the prospect of getting back on the train and tube and potentially bringing Covid home with me. Is it completely insane to consider driving into central London a few days a week? Has anyone done that/considering it? I’d be aiming to be in the office by 7.30 then leave early to try to avoid some of the worst traffic.

Sadie Khan is putting the congestion charge up to £15 per day from next month but it might still be worth it.

I don't go into London, but my commute takes me along the M3 and every time the trains strike the road gets significantly busier so people must commute in in numbers. Really depends on how far across London you travel and if you can easily park. DH goes in for meetings about once a week in normal times and doesn't seem to have a problem.

Hi sluj- to be honest my train ticket is so expensive that I won’t be that much worse off driving even taking into account the congestion charge. I’m hoping it would be a relatively short term thing for a few months and that there may be a vaccine or effective treatment by then although I know there are no guarantees of either - not really worried about Covid for myself but terrified at the thought of my family member getting it.

I am going to do just that. I am also buying an electric car, to avoid paying the congestion charges. I used to drive to Fleet Street before the lockdown three times a week from sw London without any problems. It was still faster than using the tube.

How easily can you park? Is there anyway you can drive to somewhere further in and then bike/ walk the rest?

I don’t think you are mad for considering it at all.

Can you cycle in? I’ve loved the cleaner air since lockdown, it would be a shame for it to go back to as it was before or potentially worse

Where will you park?

I would think parking will be your biggest issue. If you can park, I'd drive in in your position

Parking restrictions have just come back into force

(many boroughs, possibly all of London)

Parking? Until you have solved that it's a non question!

Also consider that a number of roads are proposed to be car free, around Waterloo to encourage cycling. Really depends on where you are working. I know for me driving to west London is easier than public transport but SE London would be a nightmare. You might find it okay now but that it gets worse as more people return. Good luck though.

I used to do it regularly for medical reasons, and used parking spaces from Just Park, which worked out much cheaper than normal car parks. I was going in for Hertfordshire and left home at 0515 and traffic wasn’t too bad. If I left it to after 0530, it was much busier!

Had to drive in on Tuesday for a hospital appointment and it was quiet and the drive was easy. I guess this will get worse as time goes on and more people go back to work. Congestion charge and parking costs to consider, plus where will you park, as others have said.

@Notsureaboutsymptoms yes I would actually consider trading my car in for an electric model if I do this - have been seriously considering buying one for a while now anyway. Which car are you going for out of interest? The one I'm leaning towards is the Hyundai Kona but I think it's a bit overpriced. Do you find the traffic gets significantly worse after a certain time when you drive in or is it just bad all the time?

Parking wise - there are a few car parks near the office which it appears you can pre-book a space in so my intention would be to use one of those. I'd be coming in from the M4 and heading to the Westminster area if anyone has any experience of that journey?

I would consider parking a bit further out and then cycling but I'm not sure it would really save me any time in the grand scheme of things, although would probably be cheaper on the parking front.

I live in central London, I have a car my main query is where will you park? Congestion charge has been increased, parking restrictions are back in force now as well.

Huge sections are still closed off to cars, which is causing traffic around that exclusion zone to back up. If you know you can park and your route doesn’t go through that central exclusion zone, then I totally get why you would prefer to drive in.

I am looking at a second hand Nissan leaf. I’ll have to commute daily and I am petrified of going on the tube. My office provides free parking. The traffic was never too bad, it’s always moving, even on the busiest days. I think it looks worse than it actually is..

Funny we have been discussing this here too.
Our DC (5) has complex needs so we have opted out of returning to school before the summer so it's naturally a conversation we have had. DP's bosses are "mulling over" a staggered return to the office in July but not 5 days a week.
His journey usually incorporates bus, tube and a shuttle bus to one of his offices (we are waiting to hear which he will need to be at), so we are very weary of this prospect with current situation.
So I think we are almost decided that myself and DC will drive him into work and collect him when he finishes. If this is for upto 3 or 4 days a week financially it makes sense and just feels like the most sensible option for now.

www.citymetric.com/transport/transport-london-unveils-new-cycling-route-map-5119

This is an article on the new car free routes, not terribly easy to read.

@wonderstuff thanks, that's useful info - doesn't look like any of the roads I'd be using will be closed to cars but imagine there may be knock on impacts from nearby road closures

@Notsureaboutsymptoms and @wonderstuff

Don't forget that the congestion charge exemption for electric cars is going to be ended in December 2025.

Sorry, not wonderstuff, I meant @Iorderedyouapancake

Have you considered a scooter or motorbike? No C charge and many are ULEZ exempt, everywhere except Westminster offers free parking, (and W is £1 a day, or less of you buy a few months at a time) and they don’t get stuck in traffic.

Not the same as work commuting but my family and I always drive into London rather than get the train. We live about an hour and a half from the centre and there is a train straight there but it’s so expensive!

As previous posters said - you need to crack the parking issue first before you even think about driving in.

JustPark is a decent enough site, if you've not used it before you can essentially pre-book someone's drive and it can be cheaper than the NCP rip offs in Central London.

I would seriously consider electric as well if you could get a good lease deal, and if you're at a time in life when you're able to change your car.