Labour councillors have written to the Mayor of London asking him to reconsider levying the congestion charge on minicabs.

The congestion charge was introduced in 2003 by then Mayor of London Ken Livingstone and is a £11.50 daily charge imposed on drivers in central London.

Minicab drivers – which includes Uber drivers – were previously exempt from the charge but last year it was confirmed they will be forced to pay it from April 8.

Now a group of 22 Labour councillors have written to Mayor of London Sadiq Khan asking him to reconsider the introduction of this charge for minicabs.

The letter says the Congestion Charge could cost minicab drivers and extra £230 each month.

The letter said: “For many drivers in our wards, these costs will be too much to bear and they will be forced out of their jobs.

“Other drivers will be thrown into in-work poverty and forced to work even longer hours to get by.

“As the Labour Party we must be firm that the costs of protecting our environment cannot be borne on the backs of the most vulnerable.”

The councillors who have written the letter include Cllrs Daniel Stone and Eldridge Culverwell for Stroud Green, Haringey, Cllr Julie Davies for St Ann’s, Haringey and Cllr Mike Hakata for St Ann’s, Haringey.

Abdurazk Hadi, chairman of the London committee of the United Private Hire Drivers branch of the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain, which represents minicab drivers, also spoke out on the issue.

Mr Hadi said: “It is clear to everyone, even Sadiq Khan’s own colleagues in the Labour party, that this policy will hurt some of London’s poorest workers, while doing nothing to resolve the city’s congestion problems.

The union has also applied for a Judicial Review of Mr Khan’s decision to introduce the charge on the grounds that the Congestion Charge discriminates against people from ethnic minorities.

The group says the charge is discriminatory as 94 per cent of minicab drivers are from black, Asian and other minority ethnic backgrounds.

A spokesperson for Mr Khan said: “Congestion has a crippling impact on businesses across the capital.

“Most other motorists, from private cars to small business owners, are liable for the Congestion Charge.

“Removing the Congestion Charge exemption for private hire vehicles is an important part of our plans to both reduce congestion.”