Is this the moment Sadiq Khan's future plans for pay-per-mile road charging in London were confirmed? Senior ally of Labour mayor tells election transport event new driving tax is only ruled out 'for now'

London mayor Sadiq Khan is facing fresh questions over whether he is planning to introduce a pay-per-mile scheme for driving in London today after a senior ally admitted the idea was only ruled out 'for now'.

Hackney Labour councillor Mete Coban slipped out the remark as he took part in a Future of London Transport hustings this afternoon.

Mr Khan is facing claims from the Tories that he wants to bring in a scheme that charges drivers by their use of the capitals roads, on top of the controversial Ulez emissions tax.

He has ruled out wanting to introduce new fees for drivers depending on road use, as he attempts to win re-election next month.

But critics have drawn attention to his official transport strategy plan which they say shows him 'legally committed' to looking into a pay-per-mile system - which could see drivers of older cars charged more.

At the election hustings this afternoon Mr Coban was quizzed over the accuracy of Mr Khan's 2023 book Breathe, in which he says 'we have plans to introduce a new, more comprehensive, road user charging system.'  

Conservative London Assembly member Andrew Boff, asked Mr Coban: 'Either that book is right or it is wrong. Is he going to bring in pay-per-mile? Because he says so in the book and if he says no now, does that mean the rest of the book is wrong as well?'

Mr Coban, who is the Hackney Council executive member for the environment and transport, replied: 'Firstly that is a personal book, it is not the manifesto for London. 

'I think the key thing here is that – and I want to be very clear about this – is that Sadiq has ruled out pay-per-mile for now.'

Mr Boff then asked if he meant it was ruled out 'for now until May?' as Mr Coban tried to correct himself  and accused the Tories of trying to stoke 'a culture war debate'.

Mr Khan has said that the expansion of the £12.50 daily Ulez charge to all of greater London has allowed him to avoid bringing in pay-per-mile. 

But the mayor's legally-binding official transport strategy, also stipulates Transport for London would 'investigate proposals for the next generation of road user charging'.

The document was first published in 2018 and updated four years later as the mayor expanded his controversial ULEZ scheme - but the 'per mile' idea remains in place.

The strategy plan states: 'The mayor, through TfL, will investigate proposals for the next generation of road-user charging systems. 

'These could replace schemes such as the Congestion Charge, Low Emission Zone and Ultra Low Emission Zone.

'In doing so, the mayor will consider the appropriate technology for any future schemes, and the potential for a future scheme that reflects distance, time, emissions, road danger and other factors in an integrated way.'

The document suggests 'an integrated 'per mile' charge could replace pre-existing schemes' and present Londoners with 'a single, unified scheme which takes into account both congestion and emissions objectives'.

A spokesman for Mr Khan last week said: 'This is absolute nonsense from a Tory party desperate to distract from their 14 years of failure, and is categorically untrue.

'Sadiq has definitively ruled out pay-per-mile. Pay-per-mile was first proposed in Boris Johnson's transport strategy when he was mayor.'