Models from the Bravo, Grande Punto, Panda and new 500 ranges will be London Congestion Charge exempt when new rules concerning the city traffic scheme come into force in October, says Fiat Group Automobiles UK.

Models from the Bravo, Grande Punto, Panda and new 500 ranges will be London Congestion Charge exempt when new rules concerning the city traffic scheme come into force in October, says Fiat Group Automobiles UK.

Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London, this week approved new rules governing this part of London’s environment programme, and announced that from 27 October, cars in VED bands A and B – those emitting less than 120g/km of CO2 – will receive a 100 per cent discount from the congestion charge.

That means fee-free London motoring for the Fiat 500 1.2 (119g/km) and 1.3 16v (110g/km) in Pop, Lounge and Sport trim, the Panda 1.3 MultiJet Dynamic (114g/km), the Grande Punto 1.3 MultiJet Active and Dynamic three and five-door models (119g/km), and the new mid-size Bravo 1.6 MultiJet 105 with Special Eco-pack (119g/km).

“Fiat is determined to lead when it comes to environmentally-friendly motoring,” says Elena Bernardelli, marketing director, Fiat Group Automobiles UK Ltd. “And these new rules enable our customers to save money as well as feel better about our environment.”

Traffic congestion clogs up roads, threatens businesses and damages London's status as a thriving world city, says TFL. When the Mayor took office in 2000: London suffered the worst traffic congestion in the UK and amongst the worst in Europe; Drivers in central London spent 50% of their time in queues; Every weekday morning, the equivalent of 25 busy motorway lanes of traffic tried to enter central London. It was estimated that London lost between £2-4 million every week in terms of lost time caused by congestion.

The Mayor's election manifesto included a pledge to tackle congestion. Following his election the scheme was fine-tuned in order to meet demands from businesses, residents and a large number of other interested groups. In February 2002 the final form of the scheme was announced, and the charge was introduced in February 2003. In February 2007 the charging zone was extended Westwards.