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Comment: C-charge change
Evening Standard03.06.08
One of the Mayor's election pledges was to consult the public on whether to keep the western zone of the congestion charge. He says he is working with Transport for London to establish the timetable for a consultation as a "matter of urgency". Already, Hammersmith and Fulham council has declared that extension has been a "body blow" for local business. Small shops deserve help at a time when increased competition looms from the giant Shepherds Bush mall.
The difficulty is however that those living in the western zone, a largely residential area, have become used to their resident's discount and would suffer if traffic levels rose following abolition of the extension. Also, more motorists in the western zone would affect the many cyclists passing through it en route to central London. The answer could be concessions on charging hours so that commuters by road were still discouraged but it became easier to visit shops inside the zone.
But in the meantime Mr Johnson must keep his promise for a much more rigorous consultation than that undertaken by Ken Livingstone. Businesses and residents must have their say.
Reader views (4)
Boris you have a hard job ahead of you,many I know voted for you cause they believe you will stand by your promises. BBC news 14th of January 2008. Your promise to evaluate the western extension of the congestion charging zone. You yourself realize that adding the western extension did create more traffic to the central zone, many who caught public transport now drive in. But more importantly with in the western zone small business has suffered. Walk around and see shops closing everywhere. We need to help and support those if we are to get through this fragile time that's is world wide. Help set the example for all of us.
- Jo, london
The role surely of the mayor indeed any senior political figure, is to take an overview of the situation and make a decision accordingly, no matter how unpopular that decision may be.
This consultation prior to making a decision is just passing the buck and the sign of weak leadership.
Car owners in west London of course are going to object to the western charge. I'm sorry to say but car drivers (of which i was occasionally one...though i now cycle and use public transport a lot more often) are innately selfish and will consider their own needs rather than look at the big picture.
Are cyclists and bus passengers going to be asked about the abolition of the zone?
Traffic has been radically reduced since the implementation of the zone it will be extreme folly to abolish it. We will go back to near grid lock in west London.
Boris is a cyclist...when are we going to see some more cycle lanes?
- David Dragonetti, London
I live on the eastern edge of the western extension - by Vauxhall Bridge Road and if I no longer had to pay £200 a year would be quite content to pay charges on the very few - three or four times a year - I am crazy enough to drive into the old congestion zone.
- Ian, London Eng
Re the congestion charge consultation.
We sincerely hope that Boris is not going to break one of the corner stone pledges of his election campaign.
We sincerely hope he's not huddling up to the Chelsea and Kensington folk who have now discovered they like their not so busy streets and want to keep it that way, irrespective of the drop in trade in the K & C borough and irrespective that occasionally other folk would like to use their cars in the 'Western zone' without being ripped off by TFL.
We sincerely hope Boris will not become just another politician who says one thing but does another.
- Derek Seagrim, London
