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Journey times creep up in post-charge capital
Page 12
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• Journeys times into London have increased compared with the first day of congestion charging, and many journeys are taking as long as they did pre-congestion charging, according to Trafficrriaster, The traffic information and vehicle tracking company says that while there was an initial dip in journey times, during the third week after charging began there was an increase on seven of its 12 monitored routes. it says this is because drivers had become used to the process of charging and had either learnt to
avoid it or were prepared to 1" ----
enter the zone.
Trafficmaster says that I the greatest increase in
journey time, at 14%, was 1EiLlYieaker ee, the 410 from Waltham ! 150Tie eke/P.2i Cross to Stoke Newington. It
adds that since the introduction of tolls it has regularly seen Stoke Newington High Street block up and predicts that this will now be a new congestion black spot in London.
A spokeswoman for the AA agrees: "We have also seen journey times creeping back to pre-congestion charge levels. People are reverting back to using the car now they no longer fear the scheme and have seen it beginning to work."
Transport for London says that it is still too early in the scheme to draw conclusions, and that Trafficmaster's figures only provide a snapshot of the situation.
• E-makJennIfer.banrbi.ce.uk