Weather Afternoon: 10°c Sunny spells Tonight: 4°c Partly Cloudy Night

News

Five years of the congestion zone

Rashid Razaq
27 Nov 2008


February 2003: Original congestion zone comes into operation in central London, covering the boundary of the Inner Ring Road. Managed by Capita, drivers are required to pay £5 per day between 7am and 6.30pm.

November 2003: Mayor Ken Livingstone reveals plan to double the size of the zone, taking its western boundary to Shepherd's Bush and southern boundary to Chelsea Embankment.

February 2004: Transport for London starts a public consultation over the expansion, despite transport commissioner Bob Kiley voicing his doubts about its effectiveness.

August 2004: Consultation reports majority of residents are opposed to the extension, however the recently re-elected Ken Livingstone calls the findings a "charade" and says he will proceed with the scheme.

July 2005: Daily charge rises from £5 to £8 as thousands of businesses and residents continue to protest against the extension.

September 2005: Official announcement that the western extension will come into effect on 19 February 2007.

June 2006: Renewed opposition to the extension as official report shows congestion in the existing zone is now worse than when the scheme started.

February 2007: Western extension becomes operational, costing £123million to implement.

January 2008: Boris Johnson pledges to scrap the extended congestion zone if he is elected Mayor.

November 2008: Mayor Johnson scraps the scheme after new public consultation finds overwhelming opposition.

Reader views (1)

 Add your view

And good-bye to another feckless piece of social engineering added to those already introduced by our Parliament of Fooles. Bravo, Boris - may there be many more.

- John Problem, Hackney Wick, London, UK, 27/11/2008 15:47
Report abuse


Add your comment

 

Terms and conditions Make text area bigger You have  characters left.

We welcome your opinions. This is a public forum. Libellous and abusive comments are not allowed. Please read our House Rules.

For information about privacy and cookies please read our Privacy Policy.


 

 

  • Riot axeman terror at McDonald's Axe man A rioter who terrorised diners with an axe at McDonald's has been jailed for five years and three months - one of the toughest sentences for...
  • Terror of boy exposed as gang witness Scotland Yard A BOY and his family had to flee their London home after a blunder by the Met and Crown Prosecution Service gave his name to gang members he...
  • Mayor of poverty-hit council hires adviser in £1,000-a-day deal Lutfur Rahman One of the poorest boroughs in London is under fire for spending £1,000 a day on a personal aide for its mayor
  • Make 'death trap' junctions safer for cyclists, demands university mourning three Ellie Carey A university that saw two students and a member of staff killed cycling in London last year has accused Boris Johnson of failing to act...
  • Soho 'field hospital' for drunks reopens David Cameron smile A field hospital set up to deal with London's drunks is being extended as the binge-drinking crisis deepens in the capital
  • Jobless total jumps by 48,000 with UK facing 'zig-zag year' Job Centre unemployment Bank of England Governor Sir Mervyn King warned Britain faces a "zig-zag" year of growth and gloom today as unemployment rose by 48,000
  • Greens and Ukip could test Paddick in fight for mayor poll third place Paddick Brian Paddick could struggle even to finish third in this year's mayoral election, as smaller parties look set to capitalise on Lib-Dem woes...
  • Phone-hack private eye can appeal over human rights ruling Glenn Mulcaire The private investigator at the centre of the phone hacking scandal was today granted the right by the Supreme Court to appeal against a...
  • Britain's athletes could be banned from 2012 for criticising the team Olympic site British athletes risk being banned from the Olympics if they criticise team-mates or sponsors under rules that cover tattoos, contact lenses...
  • Google TV challenges Apple and Sky Google TV Google and Sony have joined forces in a bid to bring the internet to millions of televisions.
  •  

    Don't Miss
    • London Gateway

      Supersize superport: London Gateway

      London Gateway, the £1.5bn container port under construction on the Thames at Thurrock, will have capacity to unload six of the world's largest ships at one time and have as much impact on the capital as a new airport or half a dozen Westfield shopping centres
    • Matthew Williamson

      One stylish affair: Matthew Williamson

      With London Fashion Week kicking off on Friday, British designer Matthew Williamson tells Rosamund Urwin about breaking up with his ex, post-show partying and his new model man