Now that New York City is charging for vehicles to enter lower Manhattan since the new year, albeit 20 years after we installed it in London, l wonder if the diplomats pay it at all, when going through the zone? 

I only ask this in light of our experience with diplomats not paying our congestion charge, particularly the US Embassy. And that with the UN Head Quarters based in Upper East Manhattan, New York does have one if not the highest concentration of diplomats in the world! 

When l was at the London Assembly, l annually asked about the outstanding amounts due to TfL from all the embassies including the US Embassy even though it has now moved outside the congestion zone from Grosvenor Square to Nine Elms. 

Information about outstanding debt owed by Embassies and Diplomatic Missions for non-payment of the Congestion Charge is regularly published by Transport for London at the following link: https://content.tfl.gov.uk/cclez-online-factsheet-embassy-debt-dec20.pdf

Now discount and exemption plans are available for the Congestion Relief Zone. A discount plan is available for low-income drivers, and exemption plans are available for individuals with disabilities or organisations transporting people with disabilities, emergency vehicles, buses, and specialised government-owned vehicles. Rightly so but clearly none for the diplomats working at the UN HQ. 

So it does mean that our British diplomats in New York are having to pay the congestion charge toll whilst its not being paid by US diplomats and others in London. Which does not strike me as fair at all. 

It is right and proper that the monies raised by the charge after helping to reduce the congestion in the Lower Manhattan, are used for investment in public transport as well on both sides of the Atlantic. I am not sure you can have it both ways though, not paying it here in London but charging diplomats in New York! 

Settling these long standing debts due to Transport for London in London would go along way in helping the provision of public transport for both resident, visitors and diplomats in London.