London Mayor Ken Livingstone today announced a revamp of the congestion charge. The firebrand politician has more than tripled the cost to £25 for the biggest polluters. However, it’s great news for motorists with the cleanest vehicles, allowing all cars in tax band A and B free entry. What do you think of the policy?
At the moment 17 per cent of the cars which drive in the congestion charge will face the new £25 fee, while just two per cent will be exempt. Sounds like a recipe for reduced congestion on the face of things.
But it’s possible many of those driving the highest emitting cars can afford the increase, while motorists who have small cars and don’t currently drive into the city centre will now use the law change to avoid public transport. Could congestion get worse now there’s no fee for greener cars?
Does this turn the current system into an emissions charge rather than a congestion charge? With this latest development will other cities such as Manchester move forward with their plans to introduce such schemes?
Give us your views.
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I wish They Would Get rid of some of the filthy diesel 40 year old buses and stinking taxis that are licensed by the metropoltitan police and transport for london before the poor motorist is yet again picked upon by the likes of ken livingstone and his cronies !!!
Yours faithfully
Michael Hayes
A very expensive way of achieving very little.
TFi’s own figures show that almost all their income is achieved through fines. The scheme has been a financial disaster generating zero cash for public transport.
Raising the CC is about covering up this shortfall, now that they have gone through the cost and political pain of introducing it they cannot let it fail regardless of cost.
Pretending that it’s to improve our environment is pathetic and is insulting to the green movement.
Remember the CC was originally touted as a green measure, well TFi’s own figures state it has had no impact on pollution; this is primarily because the wind doesn’t know about the zone.
We need to tackle the problem Ken not just raise the charge to justify a badly thought out scheme.
Let’s have the government subsidise the conversion of all our vehicles to run on water. Then we could all be green and not pay a bean back to the government in petrol tax and congestion/emmission charges. Everyone’s a winner! Or then again, maybe they’d think of some other way to make up the income loss. Maybe a heavy breathing tax to reduce emmissions?
Business will suffer in the short term, but eventually what will happen is that the people affected will find a way to pass on the costs to consumers, and so ultimately everyone will suffer.
Even if its just employees right now, they will all be looking for alternatives, and many will argue for a pay rise on the basis of increasing costs of living, including these charges.
Many people I know simply refuse to go into London anyway. You cant get out of London late at night due to poor infrastructure that closes down too early.
And the costs of everything in London is way ti high. When people say “Rip off Britain”, you need to double that when talking about London.
And here we have a bureaucrat who wants to increases costs again. Has the world gone mad?
So Leslie you are going to drive more and achieve what?
You need to get a job that keeps you busier and gives you less time to be cruising around london during congestion charging time.
Also do we really need to be breathing in huge volumes of traffic fumes at every moment of the day.
totally agree with the charge, london is just a smog filled dump, don`t know why anyone wants to go there anyway its a health hazard. having said that it won`t stop the toffs in the posh tractors will it.
Stupid little man
I hope this gets him thrown out
of he goes ahead with this charge I shall simply buy an exempt car keep my Porsche for decent trips and drive inside the congestion charge even more making the congestion even worse, this is no longer a congestion charge but a tax on those who can afford better, its a tax against those who work hard and want to enjoy the fruits of their labours
stupid little man
lets get rid of him, Please!
So at last Red Ken admits it.
Its not a congestion charge its a just another vehicle tax.
Whats next, a lower charge for cars that are red?
Thank god I started working on my UK exit plan when I did. Running my own business is similar to operating with a noose around my neck. The circle is forever tightening and what I realise from travelling is that comfort, prosperity and fulfilment can be found about 3500 miles away.
If every car in the UK was banned, the worlds CO2 levels will be back up to the same pre-ban level within 6 weeks.
Restricting 2% of cars in London is a much good as a rats fart in a hurricane. So this is just an envy tax.
well said mark