Edinburgh throws out the congestion charge

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Satch

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What a surprise!

Times Online
Edinburgh residents today threw out plans for a £2 congestion charge for Scotland’s capital city by a margin of three to one.

While 45,965 residents backed the charge, a total of 133,678 said no to the plans, after a surprisingly high turnout in a local referendum.

More than 62 per cent of the city's 290,000 residents were asked to take part in the two-week postal ballot.

The city council had hoped to introduce a £2 charge to traffic passing through two designated zones, a suburban zone and a city centre zone. It said the tax would raise an estimated £760 million over the next 20 years for transport improvements.

But the plans proved unpopular with commuters, and councils in Fife, Midlothian and West Lothian petitioned for a judicial review of the congestion charge plans at the Court of Session in Edinburgh. Their legal action claimed that while Edinburgh residents who lived outside the charge zone would be unfairly exempt from the tolls, motorists in their areas - living just as close to the capital - would have to pay.

Councillor Donald Anderson, leader of the city council, praised the number of people who had taken part.

"I accept the verdict of the people of Edinburgh," he said. "The people of Edinburgh have decided not to support congestion charge and this will not now be introduced in the city. We advocated this scheme because we thought that congestion charging was in the best interests of the city, but we will respect the choice made by Edinburgh residents."

The scheme proposed an outer cordon, circling most of the city and operating from 7am to 10am, and an inner cordon covering the city centre in operation from 7am to 6.30pm. The charges would apply from Monday to Friday, with a £60 fine for those who failed to pay.

Nicol Stephen, the Scottish transport minister, warned that Edinburgh’s traffic problems would not go away as a result of today’s verdict. Congestion was "a major problem", he said, and the Scottish Executive was tackling it by investing in public transport.

"Edinburgh will benefit with new trains, the airport rail link, and improved bus services," said the minister.

"The need to support this new investment with measures to reduce car use, especially at peak periods, will not disappear as a major transport issue."

Councillor Andrew Burns, executive member for transport, said: "We supported a congestion charge scheme for the city because we believe everyone wants a city with less traffic, reduced congestion, cleaner air and more buses and trams.

"The result today is quite disappointing but I do want to recognise the success of this referendum process. The people of Edinburgh have very clearly given us a view of what they want and I have nothing but respect for the voters.

"We have a huge challenge ahead of us. We will have to double our efforts to cope with the growing congestion."
 
Brett said:
Shouldn't bother you - you're south of Watford...

It impacts many people not already cursed with the London Congestion charge. Local Authorities and infrastructure providers the length and breadth of the country were waiting on this.

If the vote had been "yes" or a marginal "No" that would have been an immediate trigger point for the roll out of a load more of these money grabbing schemes. Ken Livingstone can get £80m per annum off motorists so other Authorities want to copy that in order to make up for the shortfall in Central Government funding and their own loopy schemes.

But Road charging is still on the way. Might not hear much about it until after the elections but a huge amount of effort has gone into this from the DfT and wanabee Technology providers.
 
Satch said:
If the vote had been "yes" or a marginal "No" that would have been an immediate trigger point for the roll out of a load more of these money grabbing schemes. Ken Livingstone can get £80m per annum off motorists so other Authorities want to copy that in order to make up for the shortfall in Central Government funding and their own loopy schemes.

Yep, a big vote of thanks to the folk of Edinburgh :rock:
 
I was saying that with the tongue firmly in my cheek. Westminster doesn't normally take account of local opinion when driving through legislation that affects us north of the border, so it was amusing that a decision made in Scotland had so much focus/attention south of the border.

For the record, I was against it...
 
JohnC said:
Mind you it was a bit like turkeys voting for christmas

Edinburgh Council appeared surprised by the result, even though Midlothian and Fife Council were contemplating legal action against the whole thing!
 
Having just been up to Glenrothes in Fife at the weekend for wedding (and driving there from London), a couple of points come to mind...

1) Why isn't there a motorway from the M74 to Edinburgh?
This goes to Glasgow and there is a motorway (M9) between the two cities.

It took a long time driving along the single lane A702 in towards Edinburgh, which is like the 3rd side of the triangle of the M74, M9. :confused:

Then it is round the ring road, which I didn't find too bad, then across the forth bridge, the queue for which was ridiculous, but at least it is only 80p to cross over to Fife.

A short haul then to Glenrothes and we were there. :rock:

After spending Saturday in a kilt in the freezing :eek: it was time to head back home.

2) The lack of sign posting after coming over the forth bridge on the way home (and it was free) meant that I missed getting on the ring road (no Sat Nav as yet) and so there I was heading into Edinburgh! :eek:
I would have most likely been caught by the congestion charge, had there been one! though I did manage to get back to the ring road and avoid the town centre but only after queuing for 20 mins or so, due to dodgy traffic lights.

3) If it was the start of my journey home, which took about 8.5 hours thanks to the M1, what if I didn't get home in time to buy the ticket? A £60 fine!

Its just not right.

I'm not a fan of congestion charges (what a surprise), and avoid the one in London like the plaque, though I have finally had to use it and pay up when I picked my car up.

Unfortunately, I think that they are here to stay, as politicians and the local authorities can help but see the pound signs and generally ignore the thoughts of their residents and businesses.

There have been many reports into the effectiveness of these schemes, and they have helped, but they have also caused other problems.
They have pushed congestion further out, outside the congestion charging zone.
They have cost businesses in and around the area through reduction in revenue and an increase in costs for using the zone.
And they lead to megolmaniacs to think of extending the zones and increasing the charges!

Luckily London does have a 'decent' underground, rail and bus system, that allows connections around the city reasonably easily, but does Edinburgh have the same infrastructure or hopefully better.

What is going to take the strain of the reduction in traffic?
Are people going to abandon their cars? (this appears to be what the government want)

But really? I think it all still boils down the the £££££.

Just my opinion.

Cheers

Sparky
 
whoops its a bit of a novel... :eek:

Just reread, I wonder off in a tangent at the start....sorry. :eek:

Sparky
 
i am a bit disappointed that it didn't go through (how to be unpopular in one short sentence)....

:-(
 
scotth_uk said:
i am a bit disappointed that it didn't go through (how to be unpopular in one short sentence)....

:-(


ban_him.jpg


;)
 
Sparkyspost - continue up the A74/M74 to Glasgow, take the A8/M8 to Edinburgh. Yes, it is the other two sides of the triangle, but it is easily quicker most of the time.

Returning back, A8000 just over the bridge, short connection to the M9/M8. Sat Nav doesn't necessarily replace a decent atlas.... :)

Bridge toll should have been scrapped years ago, but they haven't been. There is a court case going on at the moment where a guy is trying to stop them being raised to £1.
 
Thanks Brett

Relied on a printed map before buying an atlas later down the M6.
I was trying to squeeze the whole journey out of a single tank so went for the shorter distance! Will bear that in mind for next time!

Thanks again for the info.

Cheers

Sparky
 
The congestion charge has been thrown out,but anyone that drives in "Auld Reekie" still has to contend with broken road surfaces and the council's fascination with narrowing roads installing new traffic lights and of course the dreaded wardens from the planet Zarg.
 
This just shows how out of touch local councils are withe their people as they were sure the people would back their new car tax and this would go through... I guess when London voted for Ken they voted for the congestion charge?
 
Hi,
I think that the problem is that, despite the fact that the congestion charge sucks, London Still needed to do something (as does Edinburgh, and any other city with congestestion problems) So what is the effective answer?

Regards,

Peter
 

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