1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156 
Charging scheme slammed
Page 6
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
I by Chris Tindall
lontroversial plans to begin charging ;ommercial vehicles in Edinburgh have leen slammed by trade organisations as lathing but a stealth tax.
The proposed scheme, due to take iffect from 2006, is hoped to reduce the owl of congestion in central Edinburgh by 5%.
But the decision to charge goods vehicles going into the city has been met with trong protest by the Freight Transport issociation (FTA) and the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA), You can put people in cars into buses, but you can't do that with goods," says an ETA spokesman. "What we are saying is that this is a piece of absolute nonsense."
He dismisses the idea that the reduced congestion expected will more than make up for the charge lorries will be forced to pay: "I don't believe it for a moment, It won't stop people coming in to the city."
The BVRLA applauds the council for taking the initiative to address the problem of congestion in Edinburgh, but stresses that commercial vehicles should be fully exempt.
"There's no justification for imposing any charge on vehicles which are essential for delivering goods," says a spokesman. It is an inflationary cost on retailers—who will then have to charge their customers—and could possibly drive retail business out of charged areas." But an Edinburgh City Council spokesman defends the initiative, saying everyone using the roads will feel the benefits. "Lorries will benefit from clearer roads and the revenue raised by this charge will mean driving on better-kept roads too."
Referring to those opposed to charging, he adds: "Not a single one has failed to recognise there's a traffic problem. What everyone has failed to do is give us a better alternative."
• About 600 volunteers, comprising mostly fleet motorists, will be recruited this autumn as part of a one-year pilot scheme for charging in Leeds. The trial, starting next year, is in preparation for a government research project testing technology and systems for congestion charging. The city's council says the chosen sites do not represent anticipated charging positions for an actual scheme in Leeds,
• The outcome of the challenge to London's congestion-charging proposals was due to be announced on Wednesday, after CM went to press. Full details next week.