Transport for London, on behalf of mayor for London Ken Livingstone, began discussions today with the London Assembly on a western extension of the capital’s congestion charging zone.
The proposed extension to the west of the central London congestion charging zone would include additional areas in Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
The consultation assumes the new, single-extended zone has the same charge, discount and exemptions as the existing central London scheme.
It also assumes there will be two “free routes” through the extended zone on which vehicles will not be charged – Vauxhall Bridge Road, through Park Lane to the Edgware Road (the zone’s western boundary), and the Westway (the elevated A40).
Any decision to proceed would follow the consultative process and would not be approved until after the next mayoral election in June 2004.
If the Transport Strategy is revised, further consultation on a detailed Scheme Order would be required. The earliest an extension could be implemented is 2006.
Livingstone said: “Having considered the success of the congestion charging scheme in its first six months, I will now be consulting on the possibility of a western extension.
“I will be listening carefully to all views on this and I am keeping an open mind.”
References: EGi News 30/10/03
