20 Jan 2009

No "C" in K&C Campaign Success

It has been announced by the Mayor of London that the Western extension (which includes all of the Notting Hill area) of the Congestion charge zone will be removed.

The legal processes that are involved to lift the Congestion system have now begun and it is suggested that by Spring 2010 Notting Hill and it's surrounding area's will finally be a charge free zone again.

The congestion charge has been affecting the trade of local business in Notting Hill since it's introduction in 2004 with 86% voting against it's removal. 67% of local residents were also opposing the scheme.

The Mayor was quoted as saying "During the election I promised Londoners a genuine consultation on the future of the extension. I promised that I would respect their opinions and I promised that if clear support for a particular way forward emerged, then I would act on that opinion"

'Londoners have spoken loud and clear, and the majority of people have said that that they would like the scheme scrapped. As a Mayor that keeps his promises I am instructing Transport for London to begin work on the process of a formal consultation on the removal of the western extension.

"One thing everybody should be assured of is my determination to make it easier for Londoners to get around our great city. Transport for London is working on a series of measures aimed at easing congestion and smoothing traffic flow, which include re-phasing traffic signals and cracking down hard on the chaos caused by badly-planned road works"

"They are also setting up a task force with external experts to review further ways in which traffic flows can be smoothed."