Not a Blocked Grid by Lavatch

Puzzle explanation

One choice of letters paired in cells spelt out “London traffic jam” and the other gave “enter the solution”. These cells were therefore filled by “congestion charge”. Changing the final letters in 14dn and 17dn made them real words and produced the name of (Ken) Livingstone, the London mayor who introduced the charge.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Answer Explanation
Across
1 LEASES AS in LEES
5 TOOTSY TOOTS + Y
11 REDECORATE (RED + RATE) around ECO
12 TEAR THE − HE + EAR
13 ABOLLA A + BOLLARD − RD
15 DERAILS AILS after (DINER − IN)
16 ANTIS MANTIS − M
18 PRE PRE(ach)
19 ETHE ETHE(r)
20 CLERKESS (ERK after L) in CESS
22 PILAU LA in PIÙ
25 SIMA SIAM with M moved
27 DEMOTE EMOTED with letters “cycling”
29 ESTATE ATE after EST
31 RIVING RIG around VIN
32 HOOFERS HE(i)RS around OOF
33 SETT SET + ’T
35 SETON SET ON
38 STRAUGHT DISTRAUGHT − DI
40 UNIO UNI + O’
41 ÉTUI UTE < + I’
42 SECTS INSECTS − IN
44 LOLIGO L + G in OLIO
45 CHORES CHOREES − E
46 MUJIK MU + I in J(o)K(e)
47 ALLEGORISE EGO in ALL RISE
48 MANOAOS M + ANOAS around O
49 STENDS TEND in SS
Down
1 ERASES SEE < around RAS
2 ADOS DO in AS
3 SELFED D after FEELS *
4 ECLAMPTIC CLAMP in CITE <
5 TREILLAGE RE in TILLAGE
6 NATS NATES − E
7 TEREK TREK around E
8 SNARES SN + ARES
9 WALES W + ALES
10 ARSENALS (S + LANES) < after AR
14 BROTHER (solve)R in BOTHER
17 THRUSH HR in TUSH
21 SAMIT SIT around AM
23 AESTHETES SEA < + THE + TES
24 STONESHOT SHOT around TONES
26 ITEM MITE with M moved down
27 DISHELMS DISH + ELM + S
28 ENSUE SUE after EN
30 ERMINE ER + MINE
34 TROIKA PERESTROIKA − PERES
36 FURORE FUR + BORE − B
37 FLOSSES F + L + TOSSES − T
38 STOUR T in SOUR
39 ARGAN A + RAN around G
42 SILO SOIL with O moved down
43 BRIM BRIO − O + M
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