Archived press release

Congestion Charge Should Be Extended

17 February 2004

Central London's congestion charge has been a success and should be extended to other parts of London and other major cities in Britain, Friends of the Earth said today. The call comes on the first anniversary of the introduction of the charge.

Since the charge was introduced in 2003, traffic levels in central London have fallen, with 50,000 fewer cars per day driven in the congestion zone [1]. But over the same period, traffic levels in the rest of the country rose. The latest Government figures show that traffic levels in the UK increased by 1.4% last year [2]. Since 1997, traffic levels have risen by 9.4%. But the cost of motoring has also fallen under the Labour Government, while the cost of using public transport has risen [3].

Friends of the Earth London Campaigns Coordinator Jennifer Bates said:

"Despite predictions of disaster, London's congestion charge has been a tremendous success. Traffic and congestion levels in the zone have fallen significantly. The money from the congestion charge has been used to improve bus services - and journey times have also improved because buses have been able to get around town more easily.

"The scheme should now be extended to other areas where communities want it, so that more of London and other cities can benefit. The Government has welcomed Mr Livingstone back into the Labour party, it should also have the political courage to embrace this traffic-cutting policy and push for its extension across the UK."

Congestion charging remains popular with both the general public and businesses in London. The most recent public opinion poll shows 57% of Londoners support congestion charging, with 36% opposed [4]. A survey of 500 London firms published yesterday by business organisation London First showed that: 72% of companies now believed that congestion charging was working, compared to 14% who did not [5].

The success of the congestion charging in central London contrasts with increasing traffic problems and much lower traffic reduction targets in outer London [6].

Earlier this month, Friends of the Earth revealed that motorists will spend an extra working week a year stuck in traffic by the end of the decade unless the Government changes its transport policies [7].

Friends of the Earth is a member of the Way to Go coalition [8], which is urging the Government to give priority to tried-and-tested measures to reduce traffic levels such as safe routes to schools, protecting local facilities and greater investment in public transport when it reviews its 10 year transport plan, due to be published in July 2004.

Notes

[1] In the first six months of operation, the number of vehicles entering the zone during the charging period fell by 16% and congestion levels in central London fell by 30% (Transport for London in `Congestion Charging 6 months on' published October 2003). The survey also showed that public transport had coped well with the increased passenger numbers.

[2] Department for Transport `Traffic in Great Britain: Quarter 4 2003' (published 05/02/2004)

[3] www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/20021217170949.html

[4] Data from YouGov poll for the Evening Standard, 5^th January 2004

[5] `Business says congestion charge works and is good for London's image' 16^th February 2004, showed that the number of firms who think congestion charging is working is now 72%, compared to 49% six months ago. The survey of 500 firms also found that:

• 58% believe that the charge has been good for London's image

• 75% of firms said that congestion charging had had a positive or no discernable effect on their bottom line

• Only 2% of the firms based inside the charging zone said that they were considering relocating outside the zone purely as a result of the introduction of congestion charging.

[6] Having committed himself prior to becoming Mayor to a target of reducing traffic levels across London by 15% by 2010, Ken Livingstone's Transport Strategy only has a target to reduce traffic levels for weekday traffic in central London by 15% by 2011, while the rest of inner London has a target of zero growth, and outer London of reducing growth by a third, and an aim of zero growth in outer London town centres. The Mayor is also backing the widening of the north circular road and the controversial proposals for a six-lane Thames Gateway road bridge in East London which would create extra traffic and "worse journey times for most people." See www.foe.co.uk/london

[7] DRIVERS TO SPEND EXTRA WEEK STUCK IN TRAFFIC?

[8] The Way to Go coalition brings together over 25 environment, transport and social justice organisations including Friends of the Earth, the National Federation of Women's Institutes, Age Concern, the Royal National Institute for the Blind, the Campaign to Protect Rural England and Transport 2000. Further information is available from the coalition's website at www.waytogo.org.uk

If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.

Published by Friends of the Earth Trust