[sustran] FW: London to spy on its motorists BOUNCE sustran-discuss@jca.ax.apc.org: Non-member submission from: ["debi" <debi@powersurfer.net>]

[Paul Barter]

From: "debi" <debi at powersurfer.net>
To: "sustrandiscusslist" <sustran-discuss at jca.ax.apc.org>
Subject: London to charge for congestion
Date: Wed, 31 Jul 2002 21:45:50 +0530
Organization: BEAG

London to spy on its motorists

RASHMEE Z AHMED

TIMES NEWS NETWORK [ WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 2002  7:05:27 PM ]

LONDON: London is soon to become the world's first city to spy on
motorists with cameras and then bill them for the privilege of driving
into the centre of town for business, pleasure or a simple raincheck.


The controversial scheme, billed as congestion charging, passed the last
legal hurdles (on Wednesday) and is considered an important test case
for big cities all over the world.


There is a lot at stake for London, say city planners, who bewail the
laughable official figures, which put the average London car speed at
marginally slower than the 19th century horse and cart.


A spokewoman for London mayor Ken Livingstone's office told this paper
the scheme was "the first of its kind and different from the two others
existing, Singapore and Oslo".


Both Singapore and Oslo use 'smartcards', automated booths and road
sensors to harvest tolls, which in Oslo's case run to millions of pounds
a year in revenue.


London's camera-policed charging is thought likely to be even more
accurate, and deadly.


On Wednesday, a triumphant Livingstone declared that the world's eyes
would be on London with a view to introducing copycat plans if his were
successful.


Last week, on a visit to London, Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit
expressed interest in Livingstone's scheme, even as she admitted it was
impractical for the Indian capital.


The scheme envisages a five-pound daily charge for motorists driving
into a designated central London zone between 7 am and 6.30 pm Mondon to
Friday. Motorists, who will be able to buy daily, weekly, monthly or
even annual passes, will have to pay a hefty fine for dodging charges.


The scheme will be enforced by means of Automatic Number Plate
Recognition, a system routinely employed by London police to address the
risk of terrorist attacks.


London's proposed congestion charges, which are just seven months away,
have been described by some city planners as all for a good cause.


The scheme is meant to address the British capital's multiple woes -
traffic jams; air that smells of exhaust fumes and frayed tempers.


But, many Londoners are worried, particularly those within the golden
congestion charging zone, an area roughly equivalent to Delhi's
Connaught Place, old Delhi and Defence Colony areas, all of which would
henceforth become unfashionably expensive to drive in, though
Livingstone insists it would be easier to breathe and heaven for
pedestrians and cyclists.




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Debi Goenka
Bombay Environmental Action Group

e-mail: debi at beag.net /&\ debi at powersurfer.net


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