Scott_F
MB Enthusiast
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2010
- Messages
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Well not yet at least but Open Our Roads (a group of very annoyed local residents) is bringing a case before the High Court in a bid to scrap six LTNs introduced by Croydon Council:
The group is arguing that the schemes were introduced despite widespread opposition, have done nothing to reduce overall levels of traffic in the area and have simply been a measure to try to plug a very large gap in the Borough's finances (they went bankrupt two years ago - for the third time !). The Council are clearly worried but last week they failed to have OOR's case thrown out and it will go before the High Court in the new year.
However, they are continuing to insist that LTNs are nothing to do with raising easy cash even though the Mayor has now said that a pre-election pledge to scrap them can't be honoured as "£20m of future income....would have to be replaced". But apparently they are still definitely not about revenue-raising !
Legal papers going before the High Court see things very differently and will argue that the LTNs are a "revenue-raising exercise with no environmental benefits that unhelpfully dispersed traffic to surrounding roads” and are driven solely by “anticipated income from enforcement fines”. OOR's lawyers will also argue that “there is a disingenuousness in claiming the motive, or primary reason, for the permanency of the scheme is environmental benefits to residents" and that the Council "expects the [LTN] scheme to be contravened to a material degree by motorists who enforcement cameras will catch… The projected amounts are in the millions of pounds.”. In other words, the success of the whole scheme is dependent upon lots of people failing to comply with it.
Of course, exactly the same arguments are used by those who are cynical about speeding fines, congestion charges, parking enforcement etc. etc. whilst those that administer them will always insist that they are nothing to do with raising money.
7-4 says Croydon Council wins in court......
The group is arguing that the schemes were introduced despite widespread opposition, have done nothing to reduce overall levels of traffic in the area and have simply been a measure to try to plug a very large gap in the Borough's finances (they went bankrupt two years ago - for the third time !). The Council are clearly worried but last week they failed to have OOR's case thrown out and it will go before the High Court in the new year.
However, they are continuing to insist that LTNs are nothing to do with raising easy cash even though the Mayor has now said that a pre-election pledge to scrap them can't be honoured as "£20m of future income....would have to be replaced". But apparently they are still definitely not about revenue-raising !
Legal papers going before the High Court see things very differently and will argue that the LTNs are a "revenue-raising exercise with no environmental benefits that unhelpfully dispersed traffic to surrounding roads” and are driven solely by “anticipated income from enforcement fines”. OOR's lawyers will also argue that “there is a disingenuousness in claiming the motive, or primary reason, for the permanency of the scheme is environmental benefits to residents" and that the Council "expects the [LTN] scheme to be contravened to a material degree by motorists who enforcement cameras will catch… The projected amounts are in the millions of pounds.”. In other words, the success of the whole scheme is dependent upon lots of people failing to comply with it.
Of course, exactly the same arguments are used by those who are cynical about speeding fines, congestion charges, parking enforcement etc. etc. whilst those that administer them will always insist that they are nothing to do with raising money.
7-4 says Croydon Council wins in court......
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