Posted on Saturday 3 May 2008
Ken Livingstone has lost the mayoral race in London, effectively ending his reign during which he notoriously introduced the London congestion charge to the city. His departure reflects the animosity felt by Londoners towards “Red Ken” and his controversial policies, including campaign promises to increase the congestion charge and reduce speed limits in order to battle congestion.
The new mayor of London, Boris Johnson, won support thanks to his stance against the increased congestion charge, however Johnson plans to maintain the original ‘C-charge’ which is currently around $16.
The anger felt by Londoners in relation to the new motorist targeting charges was also reflected in the voter turnout, which was around 45% this year. Usually a figure of around 35% is more commonplace but it seems that Livingstone’s radical policies inspired citizens of London to vote against the Labour candidate, reports The Telegraph.
A congestion charge is also on the cards for many other major cities worldwide, including the U.S.. While an attempt to introduce a c-charge in New York was not successful despite Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s pleas to the State Assembly, in the future it seems inevitable that some sort of fee-based system will be essential in reducing congestion. The appearance of congestion charges and high vehicle use costs may be enough to see people abandon personal motor vehicles as viable transport in major cities altogether.
*The evil that men do lives after them…*
Red Ken is gone but not forgotten. He’ll not abandon his *progressively revolutionary* (pun intended) ideas so easily and we may soon see him running for higher office, perhaps even PM. If he screwed London, why not try it with the whole of the UK?
But his ideas live after him. Michael *Left-Right-Left Again* Bloomberg is only the most visible example of many in local and State administrations who are proponents of Red Ken’s philosophy that all of lives problems can be solved if the populace only abandoned themselves (their money first) to their betters in government.
And a fee based system is not essential in any way to reduce congestion. A fee based system is only essential in taking your money away from you. I already pay enough fees (taxes) for the government to build and maintain roads. And there are already more than enough toll roads. We don’t need more, thank you very much.
Ah the typical troll, always carping, never providing a viable solution. You must have plenty of time to come up with this sort of thing while you’re sat stationary in a city in which traffic is moving more slowly than it did when mankind was on horseback.
If you cannot suggest a solution and demonstrate economic models of how your solution will work then don’t stand on the sidelines moaning about how much it’s costing you.
It’s ironic how you pun “Progressive revolutionary” and yet the opposite of that is quite clearly “static” or “stationary”, exactly what the traffic in big cities is now. Stick with the same old status quo, which has got us into the mess we’re in now.
Miniloops — WTF are you talking about? Hector is no troll, he merely believes we are all paying enough fees and taxes and I hardly think anyone wants to pay more.
Your wanting him to produce “economic models” is a joke. This is a mere blog board.
Cities are big and congested messes. If you don’t like it leave. Sucking more money out of people is never the answer.
There is nothing wrong with wanting less gov’t regulation and taxation.
You sound a bit “collectivist” IMO.
Miniloops is more than welcome to write a personal check to his local government, secure in the knowledge that it will be put to good use…
That said, it looks like the Brits finally ousted the red menace.
Although this “Boris Johnson” guy sounds suspicious.
This is fantastic news! I wonder if Chelsea tractor sales are up too?
good riddance!
Finally they got rid of him, this is long overdue. Seriously though, congestion charge didn’t work and it’s really just another way to get more tax revenue. However, i do believe what they set out to do is much needed, namely reduce car use and reduce congestion.
>> congestion charge didn’t work and it’s really just another way to get more tax revenue.
So it worked as planned!