Boris scraps the western congestion charge extension

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  • couldn't he just give the traders for the portobello market an exclusion from the congestion charge instead of scrapping it altogether?

    that would've been a bit better.

  • good, now the K&C millionares don't get a discount in real london.

  • Yep, it's actually the reverse of what you'd expect, Ken giving those loaded cunts a handout, Boris taking it back. The irony of this seems to be lost on both of them.

  • If I thought scrapping the extension was going to worsen road conditions I'd be dead against it, but as it is, the Congestion Charge never actually reduced congestion did it?

  • I think initially it did reduce traffic coming into the capital, however after a short time car users realised they hated using public transport and drifted back to using thier cars and accepted the resulting charges. Make it £200 a day and it might actually work.

  • it did work, cycling from Wimbledon to Stockwell, of which traffic is always going in and from central London on that part of the stretch is calmer after the introduction of the CC, also in the evening the number of cars dramatically drop (when I says evening I mean like 11pm).

    I think statistically it didn't show much difference? government one says it make a difference, independent one said it didn't.

  • It didn't stop those Diplomats, actually they never pay the fucking CC, especially the American who own TfL millions of pound in CC.

  • I think they should ban all cars from central London forever and all deliveries must come in after 22.00. Leave it for peds and cyclists only.

  • Indeed. Daytime non-commercial vehicle ban.

  • Having spent every day of my working life in RBKC for the last 10 years, i can tell you it made fuck all difference, except for oveloading the roads surrounding it and causing a massive headache for those living on the border. Boris Johnson FTW!!

  • Okay then all cars banned from inside the M25 ;-)

  • Having spent every day of my working life in RBKC for the last 10 years, i can tell you it made fuck all difference, except for oveloading the roads surrounding it and causing a massive headache for those living on the border. Boris Johnson FTW!!

    you know what made it worse? those taxi with the 'I Become Death' sticker all over London.

    I swear I must've seen a massive rise in the number of car with the sticker on London now just to exempt the CC.

  • I think they should ban all cars from central London forever and all deliveries must come in after 22.00. Leave it for peds and cyclists only.

    Central London, like Soho, Clerkenwell, Fitzrovia, Covent Garden, Westminster, etc. should be car-free.

    no car between 11am to 6.30pm, unless you live there and/or gave permission for visitor who's visiting your house.

  • you know what made it worse? those taxi with the 'I Become Death' sticker all over London.

    I swear I must've seen a massive rise in the number of car with the sticker on London now just to exempt the CC.

    I agree with you there . . most of my clients chauffeurs have those stickers and they are as much of a taxi driver as i am

  • Having spent every day of my working life in RBKC for the last 10 years, i can tell you it made fuck all difference, except for oveloading the roads surrounding it and causing a massive headache for those living on the border. Boris Johnson FTW!!

    Computer says "no".

    http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article386589.ece

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/the-big-question-has-the-congestion-charge-been-effective-in-reducing-londons-traffic-781505.html

  • Well I know it will never happen, not till the oil runs out anyway, but its a nice idea.

  • good, now the K&C millionares don't get a discount in real london.

    Agreed with Mr Crash on this one.

    What would have been worse would be if the cc charge had been extended to encompass Hamersmith and Highgate, just for the fun of it.

  • I guess I'll find out.. I'll be closely watching my 'Quiet:Swearathon' Holland Park trip ratio. :)

  • I agree with you there . . most of my clients chauffeurs have those stickers and they are as much of a taxi driver as i am

    they really need to close that loophole.

  • Im surprised people aren't more agro about this. Surely anything that encourages car use immediately dicourages the use of bikes just by its nature. More commuters will opt for car over bike or public transport. Also reduction in TFL budget bad news for everyone including cyclists no?

    Roads pretty jammed in the west now, surely now only gonna get worse = bad news for everyone

  • LCC release today.

     *PRESS RELEASE *
    
     *
     FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*
    
     * *
    
     *Mayor's transport policy takes a giant leap backwards with scrapping of western extension***
    
     The decision to scrap the western extension to the congestion charge zone will be bad for London, and that's according to the mayor's own consultation document. Congestion and pollution will rise, while revenue will decrease.
    
     The mayor's consultation document 'Have Your Say on the Future of the Congestion Charge Western Extension' (Sept 2008, p18) states, "Traffic levels would rise significantly, leading to increased congestion. Also some increases in CO2 emissions and pollutants from vehicles. Net revenues for investment in transport would fall by about £70m per year."
    
     Koy Thomson, chief executive of LCC said, "The world envied London for the courage of its congestion charge. Scrapping the western extension means more pollution, £70 million less for improving transport, and more congestion: does the mayor think this is what the people who spoke against the charge really wanted? This move will increase London's contribution to climate change, and exacerbate London's health and obesity crisis. It has been terrible failure of leadership."
    
     "November has seen a triple whammy for cyclists: first, motorbikes in bus lanes; second, slashing the borough cycle route budgets; finally, scrapping the cycle-promoting western congestion charge.
     Shrinking the zone risks reversing the associated increases in cycling, causing public health to decline and casualties to rise."
    
     ***ENDS***
    
     ***Notes for editors***
    
     - The western extension to the congestion charge zone encouraged a 12% increase in cycling during charging hours
    
     - The congestion charge has been one of the major factors in the 91% increase in cycling in London since 2002
    
  • If I thought scrapping the extension was going to worsen road conditions I'd be dead against it, but as it is, the Congestion Charge never actually reduced congestion did it?

    I think initially it did reduce traffic coming into the capital, however after a short time car users realised they hated using public transport and drifted back to using thier cars and accepted the resulting charges. Make it £200 a day and it might actually work.

    The CC reduced motor traffic considerably when it first started. Later, however, the charge did not keep pace with inflation and businesses passed the cost on to their customers, among other factors.

    It is a blunt instrument that needs a lot of TLC to keep it working.

    The WECCZ had a number of systematic mistakes built into it that should have been addressed:

    (1) One rate for both zones--should have been separate rates;

    (2) No difference in rate for the two zones--should have been a higher, separate rate for the inner zone;

    (3) It should have been conceived as the first segment in an outer ring of congestion charging;

    (4) It should have been combined with more positive measures to show people that the car is simply no alternative to cycling;

    (5) The purpose of the zone was later watered down and combined with the Low Emission Zone, which confused people, as did the proposal for CO2 charging--both good initiatives, of course, but not what it said on the tin.

  • i think it is bad that it has been scrapped.

    bj / tfl / the govn. etc seem very confused about traffic, pollution and safety.

    but along with congestion charging they should make london safer for walking and cycling.

    with a 20 mph speed limit for the whole of london for example.

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Boris scraps the western congestion charge extension

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