Congestion Charging

So, London's congestion charge zone roughly doubled in size today with a westward expansion coming into force. The £8 road toll scheme now takes in most of Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea in west London.

Ken and TfL predict traffic in the extended zone will fall by up to 15% as a result of the extension, but what about the performance of the scheme itself. Although traffic levels fell by 30% in the year or so after introduction, the congestion is beginning to increase again. Ken recently announced that the CC zone had only reduced congestion by 20%, which questions the efficacy of extending the scheme westwards.

There are several important points to consider, however. Many Tories oppose the CC because "it is not a green policy but rather an expensive failure, damaging local shops and restaurants without having a significant impact on congestion levels." (Angie Bray, London Assembly Member in April 2006)

In actual fact, the CC has brought many benefits to the capital, including more reliable journeys, a significant cut in CO2, and a reduction of up to 15 per cent in the most harmful vehicle emissions within the zone.

Independent research demonstrates that road safety has also improved, with up to 70 fewer personal road injuries per year as a direct result of congestion charging.