“A red-herring to hide the impending traffic disaster on HF roads”
Cllr. Greg Hands has hit out at Ken Livingstone’s announcement of buffer-zone discounts of the westwards C-Charge extension, calling the package “a red-herring to hide the impending traffic disaster on Hammersmith & Fulham roads.”
New consultation documents issued by Transport for London propose to offer roughly 21,000 residents along the new border the same 90% discount as those living within the zone. Very few of the “lucky” 21,000 residents are in Hammersmith & Fulham.
Cllr Hands believes this is simply a smoke-screen, designed to give the illusion that the Mayor has listened to the concerns of local residents. The reality is that the Mayor has offered no solutions to the real concerns of residents, namely the thousands of extra cars which will be forced onto Hammersmith & Fulham’s already overcrowded roads and the devastating effect the charge will have on many local businesses.
Commenting, Greg said: “The Mayor’s cheek is endless. Whilst the 90% discount package is financially good news for those who live in the buffer zone, the reality is that the roads around the new border will be completely grid-locked.
“If Ken Livingstone wants to do Hammersmith & Fulham residents a favour, he should scrap this crazy scheme altogether, not offer discounts to the people along the edge.
“It is time for the Mayor to tell us what he will do to help Hammersmith & Fulham residents who will bear the brunt of the gridlock.”
January 23, 2005
|