Last Chance to Vote on Congestion Charge Removal


Western Extension online consultation closes early August

Those wishing to have their say about the removal of the Western Extension Zone in TfL’s online consultation have until Monday August 2nd to do so.

The consultation is the next step in the legal process to remove the Western Extension.

After considering the views of residents and businesses, London Mayor Boris Johnson will decide whether to confirm the proposal. If he does, the Extension would be removed after December 24th this year.

Included in the TfL removal proposals are the following:

  • There would be no charge to drive in the Western Extension area and the charging zone would return substantially to its pre-extension boundaries
  • Residents who are eligible for the Residents 90 per cent discount because they live in the Western Extension area or other areas immediately adjacent to the boundary, would no longer be eligible for the Residents 90 per cent discount and would need to pay the full daily charge to drive within the charging zone
  • Anyone who had purchased a monthly, annual or weekly charge to drive in the Western Extension area in advance could apply to have any unused balance refunded.

Go to
https://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/roadusers/congestioncharging/consultation/default.aspx for the online form to give your views.

Over two thirds of Londoners and businesses responding to the Mayor's initial survey on the future of the zone have said they want it scrapped.

The five-week informal public consultation attracted nearly 28,000 responses and overall 67 per cent of individual respondents and 86 per cent of businesses responding to the public consultation supported the removal of the zone. Nineteen per cent stated that they wanted the extension kept as it is, and 12 per cent supported changing the scheme to improve the way that it operates.

However the London Cycling Campaign believed the Mayor took "a giant leap backwards". Koy Thomson, chief executive of LCC said, “The world envied London for the courage of its congestion charge. Scrapping the western extension means more pollution, £70 million less for improving transport, and more congestion: does the mayor think this is what the people who spoke against the charge really wanted? This move will increase London’s contribution to climate change, and exacerbate London’s health and obesity crisis. It has been terrible failure of leadership.”

July 19, 2010