(posted 7732 days ago)Times February 17, 2003
Light traffic for congestion charge start
by PA NewsBritain's most ambitious traffic-control experiment launched today in London without the chaotic scenes some had predicted.
Traffic was light for the start of Ken Livingstone's congestion charge with school half-term holidays starting, but there was no early rush of motorists attempting to get into the charging zone before the 7am launch.
A spokesman for RAC Motoring Services said: "The overall picture in and around the London congestion charging zone is extremely quiet.
"There was not the anticipated early rush of motorists attempting to get across the zone before the 7am start. Neither is there increased traffic around the periphery of the zone."
The A4 and A40 trunk roads in West London were busy as normal for a Monday morning, he added, with traffic slightly lighter traffic because of the school half term holiday.
Mr Livingstone, who was at the London Traffic Control Centre when the scheme came into force, said that he did not expect to finish the day without seeing some problems. "I'm just waiting for something to go wrong," he said.
"Clearly we are not going to get through the day without problems. "If there is a collapse at the call centre or if there is gridlock then clearly the system will have failed. I expect there will be problems with people trying to get in touch with the call centre and rat-running."
Protests greeted the introduction of the controversial scheme to charge motorists £5 a day to drive into central London.
Tory MP Eric Pickles, shadow minister for London, headed a small group at the roadside holding aloft placards declaring that the Conservatives would scrap the new congestion charge.
Mr Pickles, MP for Brentwood and Ongar, and his supporters were greeted by motorists sounding their horns in support as they drove into the congestion zone. Mr Pickles said: "This is an unfair tax.
"It is cutting communities in two and does not tackle the real problems of London's infrastructure. It is just a tax on congestion. It is doing nothing about the real problems.
"I think Mayor Livingstone predicted that it is not going to go terribly well today. I think it is just a warm-up for what's coming, half of London's drivers have not registered and it is school holidays.
"Next Monday, when people start receiving £80 bills will be the real start of the problems."
In Kennington, two residents, John Davies and Deborah Arnott, who live just 30 feet from the zone boundaries, said they were happy with the charge, which would make their streets more peaceful and safer.
"We have four bus routes, and three tube stations nearby," said John. "There is an accident on this junction nearly every day and since the charge was launched two new pedestrian crossings have been marked out and we have a new bus route.
But Lambeth Council deputy leader John Whelan said: "This is a complete disaster for the residents of Kennington and businesses. It's a tax for residents of the borough already struggling, particularly those on low incomes."