New York’s much-debated plan to charge drivers to enter the centre of Manhattan is now in effect, following years of bureaucratic and legal roadblocks. The goals of what is known as “congestion pricing” are designed to reduce gridlock and pollution and raise revenue for public transit.

As it stands, here are some things to know for those coming into Manhattan by car:

Who has to pay?

The toll applies to the most congested part of Manhattan, south of Central Park. It will vary depending on the time and whether a car has E-ZPass, which is an electronic toll collection system used in many states.

During peak traffic hours – that’s 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays, and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends – most cars, SUVs, small vans and pickup trucks with an E-ZPass will be charged $9, once per day. During the overnight hours, the tolls will go down to $2.25.

Drivers without an E-ZPass will receive bills by mail and pay more: $13.50 for peak hours and $3.30 overnight.

With tolls for bridges and tunnels from New Jersey also going up, a driver coming via the Holland Tunnel during peak traffic could pay $22 even with the credit.

What about taxis and Uber?

Passengers in taxis and for-hire vehicles will have a per-trip surcharge added to their fares for rides to, from, within or through what is known as the Congestion Relief Zone. That charge is 75 cents for people taking taxis, green cabs and black cars, and $1.50 for Uber or Lyft passengers.

Congestion pricing has long existed in other cities around the globe, including London, Stockholm, Milan and Singapore, but New York is the first U.S. city to adopt it.

It’s been floated in New York for years. Then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg suggested such a scheme in 2007, and state lawmakers approved the concept in 2019. But it has run into opposition and legal challenges from politicians, commuters and commercial drivers. A federal judge last week rejected the state of New Jersey’s 11th-hour effort to temporarily block the toll.

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