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Congestion Charging
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Lord Lucan
Lord Lucan
2702 posts

Re: Congestion Charging
Feb 18, 2003, 10:26
Making the rich pay to drive their cars (a ton of metal capable of seating at least four, but usually carrying one) into London, then using that money to (hopefully) improve public transport is a pretty socialist kinda idea, I think.

Besides, it seems to be working (seemed even quieter on the roads to me on my walk to work from the station today), most Londoners agree with it - even if they're drivers and no credible alternatives have been proposed.

I witnessed an interesting incident this morning. A woman who had obviously never commuted on a crowded train before was sitting with her bags next to her and was really nasty to this poor woman who asked her to move them so she could sit down. She also sat out the rest of the journey looking down her nose at us proles. Welcome to the real world, love!

As far as low-paid workers goes, the cost of a weekly travelcard for the tube is about £25 (the same as a week's congestion charge). Those of us on salaries too low to afford cars have to pay this much to get into work every day. Why should those in cars pay nothing? Also, why does a 'low-paid' worker have a divine right to use a car when the rest of us are expected not to. Also, the definition of 'low-paid worker' seems to be stretched a bit. When the Evening Standard did a couple of profiles of 'low-paid workers' recently they included an interior designer on £21,000 per year. Firstly, interior design is not an essential service and £21,000 is not, as far as I'm concerned, low pay. Also the attitude of all of them seemed to be "There's too much congestion on the road, but I'm not prepared to get off it myself.", none of them convinced me it was essential they use a car rather than train or bus.

On a side-note its good to know that Steven Norris, who has just been selected to be conservative candidate for mayor, committed himself to abolishing the charge a couple of days ago. I think he's just lost himself the election already.
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Re: Congestion Charging (necropolist)
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