Friday, November 11, 2005
Congestion Charge
Road / News congestion in South Shields
I first posted on the threat of a "congestion charge" on 1st. October this year (use the link in the title to remind yourselves), now I'm not sure if the Shields Gazette are finding it a little difficult to get stories from our spinning machine in South Tyneside but they've just picked up on this sneaky little plan.
Motorists in South Tyneside face the prospect of congestion charges if a bid for Government cash is successful.
The council has joined forces with neighbouring local auth-orities to apply for a share of the Government's Tran-sport Innovation Fund.
Successful councils must use the money to improve transport and reduce road congestion.
Among the measures they would be encouraged to look at are road-user tolls, workplace parking fees, congestion charging and other parking controls. - Read more here.
We already have been told that we have the safest roads in Great Britain, so perhaps with this grant money they intend to cement this position, I am glad, however, that at least one of the political parties on the Council thinks that the whole idea is "utterly ludicrous".
The Conservative Group on South Tyneside Council has labeled the concept of congestion charging in South Tyneside 'utterly ludicrious'. The comments come after news that South Tyneside Council has joined forces with neighbouring local authorities for a share of the Government's Transport Innovation Fund to tackle congestion.
Coun David Potts said,
"We wouldn't have any congestion in the Borough if it wasn't for this Council's ridiculous obsession with speed bumps, roundabouts, and chicanes. We find the whole concept of congestion charging utterly ludicrious. Our town centres are already like ghost towns, with many traders struggling to scratch a living. Congestion charging would sound the final death knoll for commerce and enterprise in South Tyneside."
Personally, I will be glad to see the introduction of more free parking space in the town centre with the opening of the new Asda next year, amove on their part which will help stimulate business, any other plans aimed at further taxation and restriction of motoring will be seen as yet another attack on ordinary folks in this "war" against car users. If public transport was clean, quick, efficient, and cheap it might go some way to reducing the amount of cars on the roads, but how many people want to carry ten bags of shopping on the bus?
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