You may have heard the scurrilous rumour that I have reneged on my promise to remove the Western Extension of the congestion charge.
I am blogging about this now to tell you that is emphatically not true.
When I was elected, I promised to give Londoners the consultation they never got. Londoners expressed the overwhelming view that it should be removed, and I promised to honour that judgement. I maintain that promise today, and to make it absolutely crystal clear; we will be removing the Western Extension next year.
We have to jump through a number of tedious bureaucratic hoops before the axe can fall, but fall it will. The extended zone will be no more. It will be an ex-zone, the area formerly known as. It will be a dead zone!
Comment by Gomes on September 23, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Interesting and good luck to those in the west. How about the other promise of reinstating the Blackwall tunnel contraflow for those that live in the South and East of London.
Comment by J Yacoub on September 23, 2009 at 4:01 pm
There has been an improvement to the bus services. If the congestion charge revenue can be used to update the tube in similar fashion, then perhaps we should keep it but have more exemptions for those on lower incomes and those with children who really need to use their car.
Comment by Londinophile on September 23, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Very pleased to hear this, BJ. For one Londoner (me) it cannot happen fast enough. I thought nothing illustrated Livingstone’s fascist tendencies better than his extension of Congestion Charging into the ‘Western Zone.’ It might just as well have been called a ‘Charging Zone’ for all the reduction in congestion that it ever achieved and, as you say, was implemented entirely against the wishes of the majority. Go Boris.
Comment by Martin Prescott on September 23, 2009 at 4:19 pm
The question is, given the strength of feeling expressed by those consulted on the western extension, will you now consider consulting all London stakeholders (especially taxpaying residents and businesses) on getting rid of the whole thing ?
Comment by Seb on October 14, 2009 at 3:05 pm
Good on you.
Comment by Mary Allen on October 21, 2009 at 4:37 pm
At last a positive response to the abolition of the Western Extension of the congestion charge, it’s a shame it takes longer to get rid of than it did to impose. And what about all the non payment by the American Embassy, and several other Embassies running into thousands of pounds. Why can that not be dealt with in the same way as it would if we Londoners flouted the rules? They also park where they like too.
Comment by G on October 23, 2009 at 11:02 pm
i think it is ridiculous that the western extension is going!!! all the money it took to put it there, and now it is being removed, what a waste! i live in the extension and think it is fantastic to have it, so when the next mayor gets in, if they choose to, they can put the extension back, what a waste of money……….. if you want to make a difference remove those bloody new buses that are SO loud, they must be breaking the permitted decibel limits!!! unhappy resident of RBKC
Comment by Seanie on October 24, 2009 at 11:31 pm
Excellent work BJ
Now for the Eastern Zone and the Northern & Southern Zones
Axe the whole tax and don’t be lax
Comment by James Clarke on November 24, 2009 at 2:52 pm
When will the scrappage happen? Felt like we have been waiting rather a long time!
Comment by William Pearson on January 5, 2010 at 5:24 pm
Thanks Boris. I moved from Fulham to Earls Court two years ago (at great expense) to be inside the CC zone so that I could get to work in Southwark at the 90% discount (I use my car for work purposes, but have to pay CC myself). I moved to K&C and then you announce a plan to abolish the western zone. Great – thanks very much. What a total fiasco. The Western extension should stay. The majority of Londoners want it to stay – as well you know.
Comment by Helen Hayes on March 20, 2010 at 6:05 am
It is six months since you confirmed that you will be removing the Western Extension. It is time that you gave a date, as those of us that voted for you because you promised to remove the zone are becoming very impatient.