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LCC benefits too slight Tolls overhaul
Page 8
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throughout EU
II London Congestion Charging has failed hauliers, with journey time savings being too slight or localised to offer operational benefits, says the Freight Transport Association. It also found that members it surveyed were unhappy with the customer service, communications and the operation of fleet accounts—and it maintains that congestion charging shouldn't apply to commercial vehicles. (RI • 0.1.1 ma eog b,CAIRGING GOODS VERICT,S5
The ETA's London and South-East regional policy manager, Sarah Watkins, says that Transport for London's scheme is "intensively bureaucratic", and doesn't support operators.
Our members have had tremendous problems with the scheme, and some are spending a day a week on administering it. We've identified 46 areas where Tfl_ needs to make practical improvements, but it may not be able to resolve all of them," warns Watkins.
It surveyed members during the first few months of the scheme—which was introduced on February 17—to see what they thought of London's scheme, and whether it had any effect on the 100,000 commercial vehicles they ran_ The outcome is that FTA members have had "lots of problems and not many benefits' from it, she says.
Watkins adds that the ETA still believes charging goods vehicles is illogical because freight has no alternative, expensive because it means increased costs without efficiency gains, and damaging to deliveries because the money raised from the scheme is being used to fund bus lanes, which will cut road space and loading and unloading facilities.
IN Over half of the residents living in the London boroughs earmarked for expansion of the congestion charge zone support the plans, according to the London Assembly.
Some 53% of people in Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster are in favour of the £5-a-day charge covering the whole borough, while 38% opposed the scheme. A third of residents in Tower Hamlet, Haringey and Richmond also back the extension.