London’s Congestion Charge is “no longer fit for purpose” and should be reformed in the short term and ultimately replaced with road pricing.
That’s the finding of a new report from the London Assembly Transport Committee that calls for urgent change as congestion continues to rise.
According to the report, charging a daily flat rate to enter a zone may discourage some people from using part of the road network, but is failing to target vehicles spending longer on the roads, at the most congested times, and travelling in other areas where congestion is high.
Instead, Caroline Pidgeon, chair of the Transport Committee, said vehicles should be charged according to their impact on congestion.
The report adds that the Mayor needs to start to develop proposals now for replacing the Congestion Charge with a new citywide road pricing scheme, which charges vehicles according to the extent, location and timing of their road usage.
Road pricing could also replace Vehicle Excise Duty, which should be devolved by the Government to the Mayor. The assembly added that a survey by the committee found that over half of road users support road pricing.
The report also recommends a pilot of a local Workplace Parking Levy along with moves to reduce restrictions on night-time deliveries, pilot a ban on personal deliveries for staff, reconsider ‘click and collect’ at Tube and rail stations.
In response, the Freight Transport Association (FTA) expressed concerns over the complexity of a planned road pricing scheme and the cost impact on London’s businesses and freight transport operators.
Christopher Snelling, FTA’s head of national & regional policy and public affairs, said: “Unlike car drivers, we don’t operate at a time of our choosing but respond to customers’ requirements – ie the needs of London’s businesses.
“If road pricing is not just to be a tax on London it needs to focus on those who have an alternative – mainly the car or taxi user. Water, rail and cycle logistics can all play a useful role in places but even used to the maximum it does not change the fact that the vast majority of deliveries in London will be made by vans and lorries,” he said.
He added: “We especially welcome the focus on reforming the restrictions on night time deliveries. This has benefits for emissions and cyclist/pedestrian safety as well as congestion. The Assembly’s support for the use of consolidation centres and a workplace parking levy are also welcome.”
However, the FTA challenged the report’s comments on the association of the growth in van use with logistics – according to the authors, growth in internet shopping could be a key factor in van traffic becoming greater than lorry traffic. In response, the FTA said half of van use is actually by tradespeople with tools and supplies and much of the growth in van traffic can be attributed to the growth in the service sector.
The FTA also called on the London Assembly and Transport for London to further investigate the exact causes of the growth in van use before progressing further with ideas such as restricting personal deliveries to offices.
