Move faster on axing the C-charge
by Hammersmith and Fulham Press Office
08/12/2008
Town hall transport bosses are urging the Mayor of London to move faster on scrapping the congestion charge extension.
Council leaders argue that the credit crunch induced recession could be classed as a ‘major event’ under the GLA Act 1999 which would allow Mayor Johnson to make the changes before 2010.
Mr Johnson announced his intention to ditch the unpopular extension earlier this month after 67 per cent of respondents and 86 per cent of businesses said they wanted the extension to be removed. The Mayor said he would take the necessary legal steps - which could include two more consultations - to scrap the extension, but the earliest it could be done is spring 2010.
However, H&F Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment Councillor Nicholas Botterill has argued that legal complications should be overcome as soon as possible so that residents and traders get some relief as the credit crunch continues to bite.
Cllr Botterill said: “During these tough economic times it is essential that The Mayor pushes on and moves as quickly as possible to scrap this invisible Berlin Wall. TfL needs to make a start on the formal consultation on the variation to the Mayor's transport strategy so that the western extension is scrapped long before 2010.
“The maximum benefit to struggling shops, businesses and residents will come from cutting through the red-tape and ditching this failed experiment quickly.”
Shops and businesses across the borough have said the extension had crippled them in recent years. Residents have complained about being forced to pay £8 every time they want to access vital services - like schools and hospitals - and others have warned that, although the decision to scrap the extension is the correct one, it may come too late for many.
Gordon Taylor, Chairman of the West London Residents Association, says: “I have examined the GLA Act and it is clear that the Mayor has the power to switch off the extension earlier than 2010. More small businesses and traders will go under the longer this charge is in place. We cannot afford to wait another 18 months before this tax on commerce is consigned to the dustbin of history.”
