🛂 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭. 𝐒𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐪 𝐊𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐟𝐋 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐚 𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐮𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞.

As the mayor prepares to introduce the controversial road using schem by stealth, TfL have issued a consultation in what road users feel needs reforming. 

Unfortunately, we’ve seen before how Khan and his team manipulate the results of any consultation, using help from his friends in the cycling lobby, many of whom don’t even live anywhere near London. 

This statement below has recently appeared on the Mayor of London/London assembly website but hasn’t been widely publicised on any of the mayors social media outlets. The consultation ends on the 23rd of March. 

Mayor of London and London Assembly:

For Londoners, the potential introduction of variable or distanced-based smarter road user charging would be the biggest change in how daily transport is paid for since the introduction of Oyster and the Congestion Charge nearly 20 years ago.

London already has a number of road user charging schemes in place, including the Congestion Charge, the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) and the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). As part of a consultation last year on the Mayor’s Transport Strategy and the ULEZ expansion, TfL asked for views on the future of road user charging and how it might be implemented.

The London Assembly Transport Committee has launched an investigation into the future of smart road user charging in London. We will consider the practical issues around the potential introduction of smarter road user charging in London.

How to respond

The key issues we are looking to better understand are:

*  Do the current road user charging systems in London require reform?

*  How might smarter road user charging differ from the current daily charges for driving applied in London?

*  How might charges for driving in London be varied for different types of journeys, such as travelling for work, caring responsibilities or essential services?

*  What strategies and targets could smarter road user charging support?

To view the full set of questions and to respond, click here or on the button below. The deadline is Friday 10 March 2023.

We would like to hear from those who regularly need to drive in any part of London who would be directly affected by the introduction of road user charging, as well as from any Londoner who would be affected by the policy and its potential goals. Therefore, this Call for Evidence is open to all who would like to respond.

What we will do with your responses

The responses to this Call for Evidence will be used to inform the Committee’s discussion with invited stakeholders at its meeting in February 2023 and any subsequent recommendations. This is an open meeting, and anyone is welcome to attend as an audience member to watch the discussion.

Following the investigation, the Committee may produce an output in the form of a published letter or report.

𝐓𝐀𝐗𝐈 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐒 𝐄𝐗𝐓𝐑𝐀 𝐁𝐈𝐓:

I received this email from Barrie Segal this morning. 

Dear James

Although it hasn't been well publicised you should be aware that the Mayor of London is proposing to set up a charging a system which will charge people for the number of miles that travel in London.  

They call it "variable/distanced-based road charging"

You can see the proposals here.

My own view is that this is not a good idea for several reasons. 1. It will prejudice motorists who are already struggling with highrer prices,

2. It will prejudice people who need their car to visit, hospitals, doctors, relatives elderly parents etc.  It will also prejudice businesses which have to make deliveries.

3. They have not indicated how the system will be enforced although I presume it will be by CCTV and charges will be sent out to car owners based on the distance travelled. Alternatively they could offer people the opportunity to sign up so that the payment is made taken from your bank or credit card when the system automatically recognises your number plate.

4. Frankly this will be an enormous undertaking because it will have to apply to every motorist in London. Given the inefficiency of Transport for London who operate the congestion charge this will be a nightmare .

5. Clearly if you don't pay they will issue a penalty charge by post. They have been very quiet about this and it will become just another method of gaining revenue and punishing the motorist.

6. Of course the people who won't be affected are those who have chauffeur driven cars like the Mayor, who according to the Daily Mail, is driven to work in 2, £300,000 five-litre armoured Range Rover, provided by Transport for London.

Furtheremore I believe that the questions are not fairly drafted because they presume that everone agrees with the proposal.

To see the questions click here 

To submit evidence (the deadline for submission is 10 March 2023) send evidence by email to: scrutiny@london.gov.uk

I am proposing to only answer the first question and that is "London does not need  variable or distanced-based smarter road user charging".

Yours sincerely�Barrie Segal

Ends…

Let’s not forget that this is the Mayor who stopped pensioners using the tube between 4am and 9:30. A time when many older Londoners travel to hospital and doctor appointments. 

Yet he is chauffeur around town in 2 £300,000 accompanied by at least 6 heavily armed close protection officers….paid for though our taxes by TfL. Plus every person who works for TfL plus one other person from their household (husband, wife, live in partner) gets free travel at all times on Tubes and buses. 

How much more are Londoners going to take from this little dictator?

When are the population of London going to wake up?