Does he fuck.
Much as it pains me, I have to agree with the latest post by Mr Jaggy in regard to Red Ken's latest brainwave to increase the London congestion charge from it's current £8 per day to £25 per day. In addition to this, the 90% discount you get if you live within the congestion charge zone is also to be scrapped. Let me give you an example of what this means:
Meet Lucy.
Lucy is a nurse. She lives with her husband Tariq and their 4 kids inside the congestion charge zone. They sold the 2 cars they had and bought a Ford Galaxy diesel thinking that it would be cheaper to run than having 2 cars and that they'd pay less congestion charge.
At the moment, Lucy and Tariq pay £208 pounds per year in congestion charging alone. This will jump to £6525 per year later this year when Comrade Ken gets his new policy in.
Also, if Lucy pulls a nightshift at her hospital, and heads home the next day OUT of the centre of London, she will STILL pay a fee based on congestion IN London.
The bottom line here is that all this hyperbole about it being a congestion charge is pure pish, it's a congestion TAX. In fact, it's not even to do with congestion, it's just a tax on motorists. The London congestion charge has gathered over £1 billion pounds since it was introduced in 2003, but has made less than predicted profit. Profit which, by law, must be spent on London's transport infrastructure. Maybe this is the real reason for the price hike? I don't know, and, living in Scotland, you might wonder why I even care. I care because this tax is coming to a city near you, soon. Glasgow, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield, Madrid, Rome, Paris, etc etc. They are all considering their own version of this scheme.
'Nuff said.
At the moment, Lucy and Tariq pay £208 pounds per year in congestion charging alone. This will jump to £6525 per year later this year when Comrade Ken gets his new policy in.
Also, if Lucy pulls a nightshift at her hospital, and heads home the next day OUT of the centre of London, she will STILL pay a fee based on congestion IN London.
The bottom line here is that all this hyperbole about it being a congestion charge is pure pish, it's a congestion TAX. In fact, it's not even to do with congestion, it's just a tax on motorists. The London congestion charge has gathered over £1 billion pounds since it was introduced in 2003, but has made less than predicted profit. Profit which, by law, must be spent on London's transport infrastructure. Maybe this is the real reason for the price hike? I don't know, and, living in Scotland, you might wonder why I even care. I care because this tax is coming to a city near you, soon. Glasgow, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield, Madrid, Rome, Paris, etc etc. They are all considering their own version of this scheme.
I'll leave the final word to Chairman Ken 'Gagarin Andropov Lenin' Livingstone himself.
“I hate cars. If I ever get any powers again I’d ban the lot.”
- Ken Livingstone, Sunday Times, 21st November 1999.
'Nuff said.
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