London congestion charge western zone scrapped
London mayor, Boris Johnson yesterday announced that the capital’s congestion charging scheme would be dramatically reduced in size after residents voted to scrap its western extension zone.
In a public consultation, two thirds of the public and almost nine in ten of businesses said they wanted the extension removed.
Traffic entering the extension zone, which covers the borough of Kensington and Chelsea and parts of Westminster, has been cut by 14%, but the mayor argued that other congestion-easing measures such as traffic light re-phasing to help traffic flow more smoothly and a mass cycle hire scheme would more than offset any increase in
CO2 emissions due to the scrapping of the western extension.
A spokesperson for the Environmental Transport Association (ETA) said: “The benefits of congestion charging are many, but it is a tough idea to sell – If we allowed a vote on VAT or income tax they too would be abolished.”
“For the problems ahead, road-user charging is the worst form of taxation except for all the others”.
The timing of the announcement is unfortunate for supporters of the Manchester congestion charging proposal, which goes to a vote next week.
Related articles:
Manchester congestion charge – an opportunity grasped?
Manchester congestion charge debated
What is road-user charging and why is it important?
Congestion charging is always 10 years away
What is the ETA?
The ETA is a not-for-profit organisation providing motorists and cyclists with green breakdown cover and green insurance products. The ETA exists in order to campaign for sustainable transport – when you buy our services you help fund our charitable work.
