2009 April | 24 7 Parking News

Archive for April, 2009

Roadwork code will cut congestion

Tuesday, April 28th, 2009

In a bid to cut congestion on London’s streets, the city’s mayor, Boris Johnson, has persuaded utility companies to sign up to a code of conduct to cut the congestion and delays caused by roadworks.

The major firms working in the capital, including EDF Energy, Thames Water, BT, and National Grid, have agreed to abide by the code, which involves providing information boards wherever they dig up roads, as well as agreeing to work outside of peak hours where possible so as to minimize the disruption.At least one company so far, Thames Water, which is carrying out a massive programme of work to replace Londonâ€™s water mains, has said it will use high-strength metal plates to cover up holes in the road so that traffic can continue as normal. This should help to ease congestion by allowing the use of whole stretches of road that would previously have been closed off. Mr Johnson is hoping that other companies will also adopt this strategy, which will help â€œkeep people moving not fumingâ€.

keep people moving not fumingâ€Around 300,000 holes are dug in Londonâ€™s roads each year by utilities companies, with inadequate regulation. Many of these cause more congestion and disruption than they should because of poor planning and lack of information for the public.Along with the major firms who have signed up to the scheme, the president of the AA, Edmund King, has also pledged his support. He emphasized that for the scheme to work it needs the input from both companies and road users. Londoners are being encouraged to do their bit in supporting the code by reporting roadwork problems â€“ such as works that have no signage or are left untidy or unattended for more than a few days â€“ to the Transport for London (TfL) website, Â www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/roadusers/reportastreetfault/newfault.aspx

Mr Johnson said, â€œBy making these pledges the utility companies have agreed that the simply incredible situation of their being allowed to dig up any road in the capital with little notice and even less coordination must now end. The aim of the code of conduct is better coordination and far less disruption for Londoners.â€ He added that if a roadworks site has no information signs, people can log on to the TfL site and find out exactly what is going on.

â€œBy making these pledges the utility companies have agreed that the simply incredible situation of their being allowed to dig up any road in the capital with little notice and even less coordination must now end. The aim of the code of conduct is better coordination and far less disruption for Londoners.â€ He added that if a roadworks site has no information signs, people can log on to the TfL site and find out exactly what is going on.While the scheme is voluntary, with no punishment for companies that do not comply with it, it is being tested as a pilot for a proposed permit system that could see penalties brought in.For press enquiries, please contact Peter Cooper on 020 7183 7247
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7183 7247News provided by 24 7 Parking Ltd, a leading marketing services provider to the car parking industry in the UK, and a leading de facto marketplace for buyers and sellers, or lessees and lessors, of car parking spaces.24 7 Parking carries out daily surveys of the national media to provide up-to-date news and commentary on UK transport.

Disruption to Victoria Line as drivers strike

Tuesday, April 21st, 2009

Tube drivers on the Victoria line, one of the busiest on the Underground, will be on strike today for 24 hours starting at 9 pm, in a row over door safety equipment.

The Victoria line is the only line on the network that does not have the correct equipment for preventing doors from opening on the wrong side, which the drivers say compromises passenger safety. The general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) union, Bob Crow, said, “There can be no excuse for the failure to install correct door-side enabling equipment. It is operational on all other sections of the Underground and this dangerous penny-pinching on the Victoria Line puts both our members and the general public at risk.”

Some 180 drivers at the Seven Sisters depot will take part in the industrial action. The RMT said the drivers are also accusing LU management of â€œbullying, harassment and victimisationâ€ of a union activist and demand the reinstatement of a sacked colleague.

A spokesman for Transport for London said the strike was completely unnecessary and that London Underground believes the row can be resolved through further discussion. He said that LU would try to run as good a service as possible during the strike, but that travellers should check before travel and use alternative routes where necessary.

For press enquiries, please contact Peter Cooper on 020 7183 7247

Email: info@247parking.com

Web: www.247parking.com

News provided by 24 7 Parking Ltd, a leading marketing services provider to the car parking industry in the UK, and a leading de facto marketplace for buyers and sellers, or lessees and lessors, of car parking spaces.

24 7 Parking carries out daily surveys of the national media to provide up-to-date news and commentary on UK transport.Â Â

Free Saturday parking in Kensington & Chelsea through April

Tuesday, April 14th, 2009

Kensington and Chelsea Council has introduced free parking every Saturday throughout April in an effort to help businesses through the recession. The cancellation of parking charges apply to all of the boroughâ€™s 5,600 pay and display parking bays, allowing drivers to park for a maximum of two hours and saving them up to Â£6 per week.Â Although the scheme will cost the council around Â£300,000 in lost revenue, it is hoped it will provide a vital boost to businesses in the area that are suffering from reduced trade due to the economic climate.Â

The scheme has naturally been welcomed by local retailers, as expressed by Costas Kleanthous of Kleanthous Antiques on Portobello Road, who said: “We are grateful and we congratulate the Council for taking this imaginative initiative which, I’m sure, will encourage many more people to come to shop in the Portobello Road Market as well as the rest of the Royal Borough.”Â Merrick Cockell, leader of Kensington and Chelsea Council, said “the scheme has thrown a lifeline to our beleaguered shop owners who have suffered a slump in trade” and that it reflects the councilâ€™s determination to aid local businesses.Â

Email: info@247parking.comÂ Web: www.247parking.comÂ

24 7 Parking carries out daily surveys of the national media to provide up-to-date news and commentary on UK transport.Â Â

C-charge payment system set to change

Tuesday, April 7th, 2009

London is to see a major overhaul later this year in the way the congestion charge is paid, with the planned scrapping of the existing payment machines. Currently these machines allow drivers to pay the daily Â£8 charge at car parks throughout the city.

Some of the alternatives being considered for collecting the charge are automatic and account-based payment, toll-style car tagging, and off-peak rates. Transport for London (TfL) says that the change will help reduce the number of drivers being fined for forgetting to pay the congestion charge, by taking the money directly from driversâ€™ congestion-charge accounts.

In 2008, penalty charges incurred by drivers entering the congestion zone amounted to Â£73 million, representing a huge source of revenue that the government will have to find elsewhere if the new charging system is a success.

The changes to the system will come into effect in November, at which time IBM will take over the five-year management contract from Capita, the current operator. IBM will be responsible for operating TfLâ€™s Congestion Charging and Low Emission Zone schemes, including all the technologies concerning payments and all customer contact points. IBMâ€™s consortium partner, NCP Services, will be responsible for the schemesâ€™ enforcement.

A TfL spokesman said that TfL were looking forward to working with IBM in the development of more flexible congestion charging technology with automated and account-based payments. IBM executive Paul Robb said that “IBM will bring its transformational capabilities and extensive experience of road charging and intelligent transportation systems” to bear in this deal.