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There is, in principle, everything to be said for a congestion charging system that targets users of London's busiest roads at the busiest times.
This paper has said that such a scheme would be preferable to the inflexibility of the congestion charge.
So the Mayor's proposal for charging around £1 per mile for using the busiest roads has much to recommend it in principle, not least that it would raise funds for Transport for London's improvements to public transport.
But to impose a system of flexible charging in addition to the congestion charge would be another matter. It would be confusing to have two separate systems running in tandem.
Drivers could be charged where they travelled on busy roads outside the central congestion charge area and again within the zone.
It is not yet clear whether some of the busiest roads that would attract a levy would be within the congestion charge zone. A flexible system would have to be an alternative to the existing charge.
At present it is undoubtedly true that some of the busiest roads in London are outside the existing charge area - the Fulham Palace Road or the Edgware Road or even areas outside central London, such as Croydon town centre.
A charge for the busiest thoroughfares would return to the original point of the congestion charge: to enable traffic to move freely. It would also be fairer on business.
But such a radical change would take both sophisticated technology that works and an effective public information campaign.
It would also need a popular mandate, which is what Ken Livingstone got when he introduced the original congestion charge. This is a bold idea which may well merit a place in the Mayor's next election manifesto.
Why MPs should pay
Hundreds of the MPs returning to Westminster today after their 82-day recess will have to deal with a letter from Sir Thomas Legg, a senior civil servant, requiring them to repay some expenses they claimed made since 2004.
Some say they will refuse, even though the Prime Minister has said they should pay up.
In some cases, MPs may have a point. If Sir Thomas is asking them to repay expenses that were explicitly approved by the Commons authorities then they can argue - as they have already done - that the fault lay with the officials who sanctioned their claims.
But even when the amounts MPs claimed was within the rules, they should have realised that their claims looked excessive: did they really think that claims of thousands of pounds a year for gardening would look reasonable to their constituents?
Others simply cheated the system, for instance where they have claimed for the capital costs of their mortgage, not just interest payments.
As to the practice of flipping, or changing the designation of their primary home to maximise their allowances, it may have been sanctioned but it was patently unjustified.
Before MPs get too exercised about this perceived injustice, they might like to think just how this will play with the public.
The expenses scandal did them untold damage; do they really want to bring it up again?
Market values
Following a campaign by this newspaper ministers are to set up an official body to champion the interests of street markets, long under siege from supermarkets.
Nowhere will this be more welcome than in London, where some of the most vibrant street life is to be found in traditional markets.
Stallholders have long battled against the congestion charge, parking costs and lifeless shopping malls: it's time their interests were protected.
Reader views (4)
If Boris tries to bring this in, it will be a total betrayal of all the people who voted for him. His manifesto was to remove the Western Extension Zone - not to bring in new additional charges. He has no mandate to do this.
Motorists are already taxed to the eyeballs and substantially subsidise those who use public transport. If Boris wants to get traffic flowing, he should remove some of the bus lanes which cause huge amounts of congestion particularly on roads that are too narrow. He should also look at some of the poor sequencing of traffic lights at major junctions.
Politicians need to face up to the reality that Public Transport will never be suitable for every occasion, particularly for people who need to carry heavy loads for their work or need a 'door to door' service.
Punishing motorists is not the answer.
- Michael, London, 12/10/2009 20:46
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Nobody drives in congestion for the fun of it. Much of it is caused by roadworks (thank Ken for the accelerated water works) and some by councils gratuitously taking away road space - through bus lanes, cycle lanes, badly set traffic lights.
Pay as you go congestion charging isn't fair. Drivers already pay several times over to use the road, subsidising other transport users in the process.
As we've paid over £400 billion since 1997, we shouldn't have to pay for Labour's miserable underinvestment. The Tories are about to betray a large section of the public that they courted only last year. It won't do them any favours come next year's election.
- Jools, London, 12/10/2009 20:31
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We must not forget that when the government were talking about introducing such a scheme they were going to do away with road tax. Boris can't do that.
If he wants to save money why not remove some of empty buses from the streets of London.
paul pearson
- Paul Pearson, london, 12/10/2009 20:25
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The answer re road pricing and congesting charging is simple break London down into a number of zones (like TFL fare zones) and charge according to which zone/s are used.
We already have the Central Zone now look at places like Croydon where additional zones can be set up and gradually cover the whole of Greater London.
If Boris removes the current WEZ without bringing in the new system we will know he is just presenting smoke screens and mirrors and talking a load of kybosh re road pricing!
- Melvyn Windebank, Canvey Island, Essex, 12/10/2009 14:59
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