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Mayor admits C-Charge fine and defends fare increases
Pippa Crerar, City Hall Editor08.01.09
BORIS Johnson today defended his decision to increase Tube and bus fares despite the economic downturn.
The Mayor blamed the “massive black hole” in Transport for London's finances which he inherited when he took over from Ken Livingstone.
However, he told BBC Radio London: “[Fares] have gone up much less than other national rail services. We try to keep them as low as possible.
“If you don't have the financial stability in TfL then you can't do it and that's why fares had to go up by RPI plus 1.”
Mr Johnson also admitted he was fined for not paying the congestion charge after he drove into central London. “I forgot to pay and then bing'! I got the £60 fine which I have just coughed up,” he said.
He has pledged to bring in a new account-based system when the new technology becomes available. “That would get away from the crazy system whereby you suddenly get clobbered by these fines,” he added.
The Mayor also promised to extend the period for paying the charge from a 48-hour window to a month.
Reader views (8)
The hole in the finances was entirely of Boris's making. He cancelled the higher charge on gas guzzlers and cancelled the Venezuelan oil deal. If you've made the bed, then lie in it - and don't try to blame other people when it's a bad fit!
- Mellie Agon, London
Shouldn't this story be on the front of the website/newspaper?
I would have thought a story about the Mayor of London getting done for not paying his own authorities congestion charge should be quite newsworthy/funny?!?
- Pat, London
A further problem that needs addressing is a way of checking whether one has entered a C-charge area. Boundary roads can be tricky and then clocks can go wrong.
The only way of discovery, when in doubt, is to await a hefty fine if something is not paid. Then on the other hand one can pay when one does not need to. Getting a receipt is something else. Time there was a law insisting a receipt is paid by all bodies accepting payments. The Inland Revenue expect receipts for accounting purposes so why should other government departments get away with it.
- Tony Islander, Herts
If the hole was that big then why did he not implement the charge on dirty cars that Ken planned which would have NOT meant fare rises.
The only Hole was created by Boris who now plans a bigger one in West London (and I dont mean Crossrail!). Will fare-payers be funding the cost of removing the western c-charge. Sham nobody is prepared to ask him questions like this.
- Melvyn Windebank, Canvey Island, Essex
Once again Boris's failure to think his policies through ends up costing us all money.
He lost £20 million by scrpping the oil deal with Venezuela, which was intended to be spent on the less well off people in our City.
Then he scraps the Western Extension to the Charging Zone to thank his supporters for electing him, at a cost of £60 million.
He intends to spend £100 million or more replacing modern bendy buses, but has failed to point out that he will need to provide 16 new buses to replace 10 bendy buses. That is hardly going to help our traffic congestion.
- Andrew, London
I thought Boris was supposed to be 'brooding' on scrapping the whole thing.
This account based system will be very complex, and costly to administer. Starting afresh with something like a workplace parking tax might be a better option.
- Ian, Brixton
Boris should not have cancelled Ken Livingstone's oil deal with Venezuela. Why blame Ken? He isn't to blame for the fares increase.
- Val Daniels, Mijas Costa. Spain
Boris Johnson put the fares up at the the first place why now trying to keep them low.
Maybe he pay his 60 fine with the taxpayer money
- Andy, London
