jeremytaylor
MB Enthusiast
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2005
- Messages
- 2,414
- Location
- Surrey Hills
- Car
- E280CDI Sport Est., CLK 200k Cab., VW T5 174, Citroen C8, and a 2CV!
Ok, so it may not immediately affect those outside London. But it will in years to come as the principle spreads, what with the money Labour are offering to town councils to bring it in.
I could sort of see the logic of the central zone - a mostly business area with plenty of public transport - even if it is rather unsocialist of Red Ken to price the poor off the road.
But the extended zone is mostly residential and was rejected by 75% in Red Ken's pointless 'consultation' (Why waste public money consulting if you're going to ignore the result?). The extended zone will affect far more 'normal' people who live/work just outside the zone but need to go in for whatever reason, than is currently the case.
Conversely, car use in the current zone is likely to increase as residents of the extended zone will get a discount and so are more likely to use their cars. And as we're talking Kensington & Chelsea, we're talking about more Chelsea tractors pounding the streets.
Small business will be mostly affected, internet shopping will increase, but even big business will suffer. John Lewis been vocal in the affect the zone has had on their trade. BMW say congestion and parking charges cost their flagship Park Lane branch £1,000,000 (yes one million!) per year, and are having to close as a result. They also reckon that come the 2012 Olympics there will be very few independant retailers left in central London! We shall see.
As someone who does business occasionally within the new zone, I will be able to pass the charge onto my customers and should benefit from emptier roads. But the principle of it is just mad, as far as I'm concerned. How many town centres up and down the land have declined as a result of pedestrianisation? Towns need the life of passing trade (in cars) and socially engineering people out of town will make life tough, and dull, for those who remain.
Red Ken's massive bus expansion might seem laudable, but the deficit is close to £1 billion, and clearly something will have to give. One of the ideas of the original congestion was that it would pay for the buses, which is why they made it so hard to pay (so you were more likely to get fined). Expect big tax rises or fare rises (or more likely both) in the near future.
Public transport is still not adequate, and so the congestion charge expansion is premature. The train companies are saying that if more people use them, they will have to raise fares to 'deter people'. Brilliant! Whichever way you go you'll be taxed and taxed again.
But then, why should we be surprised. It is after all a Labour government.
I could sort of see the logic of the central zone - a mostly business area with plenty of public transport - even if it is rather unsocialist of Red Ken to price the poor off the road.
But the extended zone is mostly residential and was rejected by 75% in Red Ken's pointless 'consultation' (Why waste public money consulting if you're going to ignore the result?). The extended zone will affect far more 'normal' people who live/work just outside the zone but need to go in for whatever reason, than is currently the case.
Conversely, car use in the current zone is likely to increase as residents of the extended zone will get a discount and so are more likely to use their cars. And as we're talking Kensington & Chelsea, we're talking about more Chelsea tractors pounding the streets.
Small business will be mostly affected, internet shopping will increase, but even big business will suffer. John Lewis been vocal in the affect the zone has had on their trade. BMW say congestion and parking charges cost their flagship Park Lane branch £1,000,000 (yes one million!) per year, and are having to close as a result. They also reckon that come the 2012 Olympics there will be very few independant retailers left in central London! We shall see.
As someone who does business occasionally within the new zone, I will be able to pass the charge onto my customers and should benefit from emptier roads. But the principle of it is just mad, as far as I'm concerned. How many town centres up and down the land have declined as a result of pedestrianisation? Towns need the life of passing trade (in cars) and socially engineering people out of town will make life tough, and dull, for those who remain.
Red Ken's massive bus expansion might seem laudable, but the deficit is close to £1 billion, and clearly something will have to give. One of the ideas of the original congestion was that it would pay for the buses, which is why they made it so hard to pay (so you were more likely to get fined). Expect big tax rises or fare rises (or more likely both) in the near future.
Public transport is still not adequate, and so the congestion charge expansion is premature. The train companies are saying that if more people use them, they will have to raise fares to 'deter people'. Brilliant! Whichever way you go you'll be taxed and taxed again.
But then, why should we be surprised. It is after all a Labour government.
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