Plans for congestion charge for bikes

[Batboy]

The plan was to price people off the roads, guess it's working.

yep only the rich will be able to afford to drive in London.

 

[Jessiedog]

yep only the rich will be able to afford to drive in London.

Surely "the poor" can't afford a car in the first place and will be better off with fewer cars on London's roads?



Woof

 

[han]

I'm fucked as it is 3 buses and around 3 hours a day travelling

Crikey - from where to where?

A low emission bike sounds sensible

 

[swells]

Much as I object to conjestion charging, remember the conjestion charge cameras are forward facing, like speed cameras, so the cost involved in turning them around could be a factor.

This rumour has done the rounds before.....and bikes are still free.

 

[Juice Terry]

gather in huge groups by traffic lights in the way of cyclists...

Darn those pesky motorbikes, stopping at traffic lights and getting in the way of bicycles from sailing on through when they turn red .

 

[liberty]

Crikey - from where to where?

A low emission bike sounds sensible

From the East to the West.. I am going to give buses a try

 

[Wolveryeti]

Yes but its a congestion charge, not a pollution charge.

Charging bikes would be fucking ridiculous.

Being honest, it's about time they renamed it the GLA Bandit Tithe as it's flagrantly all about allowing the GLA to sink their filthy paws into more moolah they can waste disgracefully on quangos/consultants/useless information campaigns, and not really very much about congestion at all...

 

[FunkyUK]

Just read ........

where did you read it?

 

[liberty]

where did you read it?

In the Evening Standard

 

[cherrybaby]

It's a non story, won't happen.

Sad to see the anti m/c bigotry being spouted here. Blaming all bikers for the few idiots is like saying all cyclists are shits who jump the lights, ride pissed and run people over on the pavement.

As for hans comments, the biggest danger to cyclists in bus lanes comes from cars that should not be there and buses not m/c's.

oh and before you cyclists chain your cycles up to railings, remember that for blind and partially sighted people trying to walk on the pavement, getting handlebars in the ribs is really painful and puts people off from walking.

 

[salaryman]

yep only the rich will be able to afford to drive in London.

let them sit in their tractors queuing up for hours waiting for a car park space. use the money to pay for proper cycle lanes so we can cycle without fear of dying!

 

[citydreams]

It's a non story, won't happen.
.

I was talking about this last night with one of the heads of TfL. I'm afraid it seems very much a goer in policy terms. We haven't worked on any of the modelling in the congestion department, but it seems that the policy guys have commissioned some consultants to produce some initial findings.

The whole congestion charging scheme is due for a massive change in 2009/2010 when capita's lease expires. I'm currently looking at different schemes such as a mixed cordon/area charge with different pricing structures for different times of the day, whilst my colleague is looking at introducing strategic route congestion charging for town centres.

The upshot of all of this is that we are looking at ways of encouraging people into tag & beacon technology, meaning that it doesn't matter what motor propelled vehicle you are driving, you will be charged every time you enter into a zone.

 

[citydreams]

Being honest, it's about time they renamed it the GLA Bandit Tithe as it's flagrantly all about allowing the GLA to sink their filthy paws into more moolah ..

I think you should reserve your disgust for the likes of the RAC and AA &c. The congestion charge is about reducing congestion not rasing funds.

 

[cherrybaby]

Tf L had plans to charge bikes from the very beginning. The plans were dropped due to the loss of votes that such a move would cause. The plans get floated from time to time to appease the green wanker and the cyclist lobby but they will not come to fruitition as the Mayor will not implement them.

 

[nogoodboyo]

Any links for this? I've heard it threatened before. Wouldn't surprise me though... tfl appear to be rabidly against private motorists of any sort.

I take it the people who think motorbikes are significant polluters are similarly in favour of pricing up air travel? Which d'you reckon causes more pollution (including noise, since it was mentioned) in southern England?

 

[citydreams]

yep only the rich will be able to afford to drive in London.

Nope. A true Road User Charing scheme will mean that the cost of motoring is fairly allocated. At the moment the cost of using a vehicle is prohibitive to the poor due to road tax and insurance. If you are charged on a per mile basis then it would be more affordable, not less.

 

[citydreams]

they will not come to fruitition as the Mayor will not implement them.

when was the last time you asked him?

 

[citydreams]

I take it the people who think motorbikes are significant polluters are similarly in favour of pricing up air travel?

Certainly, but it doesn't appear politically feasible at the moment with the USA being such arrogant cnuts.

 

[cherrybaby]

when was the last time you asked him?

My ex used to be on the board. I have not had a recent update to be honest though.

 

[nogoodboyo]

Certainly, but it doesn't appear politically feasible at the moment with the USA being such arrogant cnuts.

I thought you'd take issue with the "rabidly against private motorists" comment as it goes... I'll take that as a tacit admission

 

[citydreams]

I thought you'd take issue with the "rabidly against private motorists" comment as it goes... I'll take that as a tacit admission

we're all entitled to our own personal opinions

 

[swells]

Nope. A true Road User Charing scheme will mean that the cost of motoring is fairly allocated.

Who decides what is a 'fair' allocation?

At the moment the cost of using a vehicle is prohibitive to the poor due to road tax and insurance. If you are charged on a per mile basis then it would be more affordable, not less.

Only if fuel duty is abolished, which I can't see happening.

 

[Wolveryeti]

I think you should reserve your disgust for the likes of the RAC and AA &c. The congestion charge is about reducing congestion not rasing funds.

I hate them as well. But the GLC are just as bad. If they really cared so much about congestion they wouldn't have whacked the prices up on public transport, wouldn't be thinking about charging for motorbikes (cmon, someone explain how something taking up approximately the same space as a bike and going faster causes more congestion?) not to mention ordering fucking awful buses which exacerbate the congestion problem, encourage fare-dodging and do 3mpg. Alreet?

 

[cherrybaby]

I hate them as well. But the GLC are just as bad. If they really cared so much about congestion they wouldn't have whacked the prices up on public transport, wouldn't be thinking about charging for motorbikes (cmon, someone explain how something taking up approximately the same space as a bike and going faster causes more congestion?) not to mention ordering fucking awful buses which exacerbate the congestion problem, encourage fare-dodging and do 3mpg. Alreet?

There is not a bus in London that does three miles to the gallon. Try harder eh?

 

[citydreams]

Who decides what is a 'fair' allocation?

A mixture of academics, politicians and industry. Who would you like to decide?

Only if fuel duty is abolished, which I can't see happening.

If Road Tax is abolished I'll be well satisfied.

 

[Wolveryeti]

Whatever. The routemasters dick all over them in terms of fuel efficiency.

 

[citydreams]

I hate them as well. But the GLC are just as bad. If they really cared so much about congestion they wouldn't have whacked the prices up on public transport,

Perhaps you have a better way of raising the £1billion shortfall in public transport?

 

[Wolveryeti]

There is not a bus in London that does three miles to the gallon. Try harder eh?

Bendy bus 4.5 mpg. Routemaster 13 mpg. Now fuck off.

 

[cherrybaby]

Bendy bus 4.5 mpg. Routemaster 13 mpg. Now fuck off.

The majority of buses in London are neither bendy nor routemaster and do far more than 3mpg. Try harder eh?

 

[citydreams]

Bendy bus 4.5 mpg. Routemaster 13 mpg. Now fuck off.

Where do you get 13mpg from?

Bus Fuel Consumption
Question No: 1884 / 2005

Angie Bray

How many miles per gallon of fuel does the Routemaster (refurnished and non-refurnished) manage in comparison to the Bendy Bus?


Based on results obtained from TfL's own bus test cycle, the Routemasters with original engines achieved just under 6 miles per gallon (mpg), whereas Routemasters with refurnished, 'Euro 2' engines achieved around 7 mpg. The articulated buses with 'Euro 3' engines achieve over 4 mpg, although articlated buses carry many more passengers compared to the Routemaster - 142 compared to 77 - which largely accounts for the higher fuel consumption.

http://www.london.gov.uk/assembly/assemmtgs/2005/mqtoct18/minutes/mqtoct18_writtenanswers.rtf