Mayor extends London's congestion charge zone, draws flak

Mayor extends London's congestion charge zone, draws flak

	Published : Sat, 01 Oct 2005 11:05 By : Amy Watts Print this Story

LONDON: The mayor of London Ken Livingstone announced that the city's congestion charge zone will be further extended to cover Kensington and Chelsea. It will come into force in February 2007 and motorists will have to pay 8 pounds on weekdays to enter west London.

The mayor also modified the present system of motorists paying the charge either in advance or on the day of the journey. From September next, they can pay the charge at the late payment rate of 10 pounds the day after they travel in the zone, instead of being fined.

Transport for London said the extension could bring in profit in the range of 25 million pounds to 40 million pounds a year, which would be spend for transport improvements.

Individuals as well as organizations were quick in criticizing the decision. London Chamber of Commerce press and public affairs director Dan Bridgett said the decision is bad and comes at a worst possible time as the retail segment is in doldrums. He said the mayor had the message that most companies opposed the extension and he has chosen to blatantly ignore it.

A spokesperson for Westminster Council, opposing the extension, said it could be the final straw for many businesses that have been hard pressed after the London bombings.

The London Retail Consortium was very disappointed with the mayor's decision. It said the western zone is heavily dependent on hotels, restaurants and retail and these businesses are likely to suffer because of the charge.

A Transport for London survey had indicated that 72 per cent of firms and 63 percent of individual resident had opposed the mayor's proposal.

The mayor claimed the extension will reduce traffic in the zone by up to 22 per cent, enabling motorists to save as much as five minutes in a journey. He denied that he had rejected the concerns of the people and the businesses, but he is not persuaded by their objections.

Since February 2003, a congestion charge of 5 pounds a day is applicable to the eight-sq. mile central area of London. The charge was revised 8 pounds in July this year. Livingstone says in its first year, the charge had led to a cut in traffic delays by 30 per cent.