Benefits of C-charge 'eroded' by roadworks

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Lucinda Turner, policy manager at Transport for London, made the frank admission to residents of Hammersmith and Fulham in a debate about the western extension to the zone.

The admission will raise questions over the need for the C-charge and comes just days before the end of a public consultation over the future of the charge. Mayor of London Boris Johnson will consider whether to keep the extension zone, scrap it or change the way it works, with alternative operating hours.

Ms Turner said extending the charging zone last year had improved congestion and emissions but the beneficial effects had since been lost because of roadworks and cleaner engines.

She said: "There are a number of factors that have contributed to the erosion of a number of congestion benefits." However, she added that traffic and air quality would be worse if the charge were dumped.

She also suggested that any downturn in local trade was as much to do with the credit crunch as the zone extension.

During the debate, Jenny Jones, the Green Party's London Assembly member, locked horns with local resident activist Gordon Taylor. Ms Jones said that while the system was flawed, "it does make things quieter, calmer, and cleaner".

But Mr Taylor said the charge was an "oxymoron" as the majority of the roads in the extension zone had not been congested in the first place.

Daniel Goldsmith, 45, of Chiswick, said he didn't mind the charge if it was used to improve public transport.

But Vanessa Crichton, 59, of Shepherd's Bush was opposed to the extension and said: "Bus journeys can be an absolute nightmare, they don't seem to move any faster. I think it doesn't work."