Letter to TfL regarding the proposed removal of the Congestion Charge Western Extension
I spent so much time writing this that I thought I ought to save it somewhere - so here it is!
Further information: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/congestioncharging/15527.aspx
I think it is a bad idea. It doesn't apply to the area I live in but I still have a valid opinion!
1. Many people who work in jobs with a low income have to take buses to work. The efficiency of these buses is dependent on the level of traffic on the roads they operate on. Removing the congestion charge for half of London will INCREASE the number of cars on the road. This will make the daily commute for poorer people more difficult.
2. More cars on the road also means a more difficult and hazardous journey for cyclists.
3. The only people who are going to benefit from this are the rich. Yummy mummies who spend all day at the spa and then drive their Hummers on the school run will be delighted. Meanwhile, mothers who are juggling full time careers with children at school and no childcare will suffer from a more difficult commute on the buses.
4. This will increase carbon emissions.
5. If there were to be a reduction in the CC for vehicles in the West End, it should be according to the class of vehicle and not just a blanket exemption for everybody. 4x4s take up a lot more space on the road (very difficult for cyclists to deal with), burn more fuel and are generally owned by rich people who can afford to pay.
6. I don't think that the Mayor needs to go ahead with these plans in order to hold his position. In fact, this will do more to hurt him than help him. Many of us left-leaning folk are (slighty) pleased with all the new plans for cyclists (they still need work) but this will turn us against him. Meanwhile, it is unlikely that a more conservative mayor is going to be elected in this city and Mr. Johnson can always count on the Tory vote. So politically, I think it's a dead end.
7. The UK is way behind EU regulations on air quality and car emissions, and this will be a major setback for reaching this goal. I know people at the DfT who have been working for years on this and such a plan will make all their efforts a waste of time and taxpayers' money.
Further information: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/roadusers/congestioncharging/15527.aspx
I think it is a bad idea. It doesn't apply to the area I live in but I still have a valid opinion!
1. Many people who work in jobs with a low income have to take buses to work. The efficiency of these buses is dependent on the level of traffic on the roads they operate on. Removing the congestion charge for half of London will INCREASE the number of cars on the road. This will make the daily commute for poorer people more difficult.
2. More cars on the road also means a more difficult and hazardous journey for cyclists.
3. The only people who are going to benefit from this are the rich. Yummy mummies who spend all day at the spa and then drive their Hummers on the school run will be delighted. Meanwhile, mothers who are juggling full time careers with children at school and no childcare will suffer from a more difficult commute on the buses.
4. This will increase carbon emissions.
5. If there were to be a reduction in the CC for vehicles in the West End, it should be according to the class of vehicle and not just a blanket exemption for everybody. 4x4s take up a lot more space on the road (very difficult for cyclists to deal with), burn more fuel and are generally owned by rich people who can afford to pay.
6. I don't think that the Mayor needs to go ahead with these plans in order to hold his position. In fact, this will do more to hurt him than help him. Many of us left-leaning folk are (slighty) pleased with all the new plans for cyclists (they still need work) but this will turn us against him. Meanwhile, it is unlikely that a more conservative mayor is going to be elected in this city and Mr. Johnson can always count on the Tory vote. So politically, I think it's a dead end.
7. The UK is way behind EU regulations on air quality and car emissions, and this will be a major setback for reaching this goal. I know people at the DfT who have been working for years on this and such a plan will make all their efforts a waste of time and taxpayers' money.
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