Aug

RMIF: London Congestion Charge should not be based on emissions

Posted by admin Published in Legislation and Policy

The consultation period on London Mayor Ken Livingstone’s revised congestion charge plan starts nowadays. Getting in an opening salvo, the non-executive chairman of the Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMIF), Alec Murray, says straight-up that the proposal won’t work.

“The emissions of most private cars driven in central London fall below the highest proposed emissions-based congestion charge level , so it is questionable whether the proposed plan will accomplish its aim of further reducing central London traffic levels,” he said in a statement.

Murray and the RMIF say the problem is that since there are so many new cars being sold that fall into the congestion charge

waiver category (exactly what Citroën was advertising the other day), an emissions-based plan will not limit the amount of cars in downtown London.

While I take RMIF’s point, Livingstone is working on that plan to “tackle climate change,” not only to reduce the number of vehicles. I know the specifics matter, but 100 low-CO2 cars are better for the air than 75 high-CO2 ones, no? Of course, 50 bikes and 50 low-CO2 cars is even better…

[Source: Mayor of London, RMIF]

Original post by Sebastian Blanco