Congestion charges in the capital will be scrapped unless they make an impact within two months, London Mayor Ken Livingstone has announced.

He said the £200m scheme to charge motorists £5 to enter the city centre would be "pulled" if it failed to meet targets.

The project, which is set to be introduced next February, is expected to raise an extra £130m a year for public transport.

Mr Livingstone said: "At the end of that two months if it clearly wasn't working we would know.

"By the end of the Easter break if it wasn't working by then I think we would have to say it would have to be pulled."

Motorists will be charged to enter central London between 0700 BST and 1830 BST on weekdays.

Difficult period

Mr Livingstone said that everything was on course to introduce the congestion charges from 17 February, with the aim of reducing congestion in the capital by 15%.

Describing London as the worst city for congestion in the world, he said that he would swallow his pride if the project failed in its objectives.

"There will be a very difficult first two months as there is with any major traffic scheme," he said.

In July Westminster Council lost its appeal against the plan.

It had claimed congestion charges would push traffic out to surrounding areas, increasing air pollution and breaching residents' human rights by adversely affecting the quality of city life.

But a High Court judge dismissed the appeal.

The Freight Transport Association has also already warned congestion charging would not reduce commercial vehicle operations - only put up costs.