[A-List] UK state: London mayoral election

["Michael Keaney" <michael.keaney@xxxxxx>]

Charging speeds up London 37%

Andrew Clark
Friday June 6, 2003
The Guardian

Ken Livingstone will today claim that the biggest gamble of his political
career has paid off in spectacular fashion, with figures suggesting that the
capital's £5 a day congestion charge has raised traffic speeds by an
unprecedented 37%.

In the first official update of the effect of the scheme, the mayor's
Transport for London authority will publish a study showing a 40% reduction
in congestion during charging hours, compared to its own expectation of 20%
to 30%.

The detailed analysis suggests traffic entering the central zone has fallen
by a fifth, while the number of vehicles moving around inside the zone is
down by 16%. Speeds have risen to 11mph, compared to 8mph at the same time
last year.

However, the figures are likely to fuel criticism that the charge has been
so effective that it is sucking the lifeblood out of businesses in central
London. The Federation of Small businesses has expressed growing concern
about a drop in the number of people visiting shops in the heart of the
capital.

The deputy mayor, Nicky Gavron, admitted that the unexpectedly large
reduction meant TfL's income from fee-paying drivers was lower than
expected.

John Biggs, the Labour transport spokesman on the London assembly, said last
night: "You've got to give credit to the mayor for his brazenness in seeing
this through, but I remain unconvinced that it will have the positive effect
in the long-term that it's made out to."