London status in global marketplace under threat
30 June 2008
According to a recent survey by the CBI and KPMG, some 60% of London’s senior executives believe that London is falling behind as one of the world’s leading business centres. Besides the general economic slowdown caused by the global credit crunch and the greater difficulties in raising finance, the respondents cited a number of other specific problems that are threatening London’s ability to compete successfully with other major centres.
These problems include a shortage of skills – with 72% of employers complaining that they are unable to fill certain skilled jobs – government incompetence regarding non-domiciled tax reforms, and, to a very large degree, problems with the city’s public transport system.
Some 90% of business leaders see the public transport problems as negatively impacting their businesses, and 37% believe that these are going to get worse. Although London’s new mayor, Boris Johnson, has promised to tackle the problems of London’s traffic and transport as a priority, both businesses and the general public continue to bear the brunt of a chronically underfunded and poorly managed transport system.
As Richard Reid, chairman of KPMG London, noted, “Many of [the survey’s] findings should be setting off alarm bells for policy-makers that urgent action is needed to tackle the weaknesses that will compromise London’s reputation and competitiveness”, adding that improving transport links was the key to “maintaining London’s world-class status”.
Until adequate changes to the system are put into effect, which are likely to take some time, driving into the city remains a preferable option for many businesses and individuals, particularly for those able to take advantage of contract parking services that guarantee them a secure and reliable parking space without having to contend with the threats of clamping, fines and other restrictive parking regulations.
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Western extension of c-charge zone disastrous for residents
11 June 2008
Amid angry protests from residents, traders, shopkeepers, and local councils, Boris Johnson is under pressure to scrap the western extension of the congestion charge zone. The mayor promised to hold a referendum on the matter during his election campaign and said he is now working with Transport for London to hold the poll within the coming months.
The extended zone covers Kensington, Chelsea, Notting Hill and Pimlico, but those living on the periphery of the zone claim to be the hardest hit, as they are not eligible for a discount on the daily £8 charge. Furthermore, parking problems have been severely exacerbated in those peripheral areas.
“The western extension has caused parking gridlock and outrage in west London,” said Nicholas Botterill, deputy leader and cabinet member for the environment. He called the scheme “a body blow for local businesses” and called for it to be scrapped immediately.
The local council’s investigation into the effects of the extension showed that small businesses, such as estate agencies, florists and dry cleaners, are losing thousands of pounds annually to make short trips of less than a mile. Many of these businesses have also lost major channels of income and business as they cannot afford the daily £8 charge – for example, an estate agent in Shepard’s Bush said that they had to give up some of their properties inside the zone because they could not afford the charge just to show those properties to customers.
At Shepherd’s Bush market, which falls just outside the extended charging zone, store owners and traders say that business is down 50% since the extension came into force, and that if things continue at this rate London’s oldest street market may have to close.
So all eyes are now on what Mr Johnson will do to fix this problem – and everyone in the areas badly affected by the extension are hoping he will fix it quickly.
Congestion charge planned for Manchester
11 June 2008
The government has backed in principle plans to introduce a congestion charge in Manchester as part of a far-reaching package of improvements in public transport.
In a bid to tackle the city’s growing volume of traffic, the scheme has been proposed by the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA), and involves introducing congestion charges for motorists driving into and out of the city centre. The scheme will apply to the busiest roads in the morning and evening rush-hour periods, and could amount to £5 per journey – £2 to enter an outer cordon around the M60 (which encircles the city), another £1 to journey into the centre and a further £1 to leave each of the zones.
Motorists will pay nothing outside of the two busiest periods, and even within those periods no fee will be charged for journeys which do not pass a charging point.
Certain groups – such as essential services vehicles – would be exempt from the charge, while others – such as vulnerable groups and delivery drivers – would either receive a discount or pay a capped rate.
Besides reducing congestion and the growing demand for road space in the city centre, a chief aim of the scheme is to raise money to help pay for improvements to public transport. The city hopes to get £1 billion from the Transport Innovation Fund (TIF), and borrow a further £2 billion from it, as part of a much larger transport plan for Greater Manchester, which, besides the congestion charge, includes extending the Metrolink tram system by 22 miles, increasing train and bus services, and a number of other improvements. The government, which has already approved the scheme in principle, said it would contribute £1.5 billion towards the package of new measures.
Not surprisingly, the proposal was not welcomed by motoring groups, who see it as just the start of a slippery slope towards more and more charges for drivers. The Manchester Against Road Tolls (MART) group said that the day of the announcement was “a bad day for drivers all over Britain”, and the group has launched a number of petitions against the scheme throughout Greater Manchester.
The proposal will go through a public consultation phase before being put to the government for official approval, and could be in place by 2012.
London traffic lights set to change
29 May 2008
In one of his first initiatives to tackle London’s traffic problems, new mayor Boris Johnson has announced plans to rephase traffic lights across the city, in a bid to ease congestion on the capital’s busiest routes.
The plans involve a change to the sequences to allow more cars through on a green light, which would help to keep traffic moving and thus cut down on carbon emissions, as vehicles would spend less time stationary in traffic queues while pumping out polluting emissions.
The change would mean longer waits for pedestrians at red lights, which has attracted criticism from various quarters – in particular Living Streets, formerly the Pedestrians Association – but Mr Johnson promises that pedestrians would still have sufficient time to cross.
Mr Johnson told the London Assembly that he wants “to make sure that traffic flows more smoothly in London” and that this can be achieved “without any prejudice to the rights and needs of pedestrians or vulnerable road-users”.
He also said that contrary to the green credentials of the previous mayoral administration under Ken Livingstone, there was “an appalling legacy of neglect of London’s traffic lights” and that 727 traffic lights do not conform to the guidelines set by the Department for Transport.
But his proposal came under fire from green motoring groups who said it would simply encourage more cars on to London’s streets. He was also criticised for delegating key planning powers to the deputy mayor for government relations, Ian Clements, an unelected official, rather than making the decisions himself. Mr Johnson said that his delegating planning proposals to others did not mean that he had ceded authority but simply that this would enable proposals to be put into motion.
Mr Johnson also said he would continue to try to bring in a new generation of Routemaster buses, but that at this point these plans were still “aspirational”.
New Risks for Street Parkers
15 April 2008
In true British style, motorists look set to be getting penalised even more than before, as new rules have just been introduced to alter the way that parking offences are to be dealt with. Rosie Winterton, the Minister for Transport, has issued a statement asserting that changes are necessary, as a means of addressing concerns amongst motorists that they are often unjustly targeted. Whilst many drivers would admit to holding this belief, few seem positive about the new laws making any difference to how fair the system appears to be.
At present, less than 1% of those motorists who have been caught for parking offences choose to challenge their penalties, yet around two thirds, of those who do, are successful in their dispute. These figures seem sufficient to demonstrate the inefficiencies of the current system and to many, including Paul Watters of the AA, the new measures do little but “add to the complexity for local authorities, particularly it allows more room for errors to be made.”
Amongst the new measures which are being introduced is the expansion of CCTV use, particularly on busy routes where it may be too dangerous or impractical for parking attendants, or civil enforcement officers as they are now to be known, to be placed. Furthermore, if a driver moves away before a ticket has been placed on their windscreen, it will be permissible for the attendant to organise for a ticket to be sent out in the post. Such methods look likely to increase the number of unfair or invalid tickets which will be issued.
Another big change which has sparked complaints from drivers is the division of offences into two categories, with fines for overstaying a meter and other “minor” offences falling, whilst the fee for more serious infringements has been pushed up. However, the vast majority of offences seem to fall into the more serious category, meaning that drivers will invariably end up paying more than in the past, whilst the council will raise its revenue. When reviewing these charge hikes it becomes evident that the fines are in no way proportionate to the offences, as it’s now possible to be fined more for parking on a double yellow line than for assaulting a police officer, with charges reaching as much as £120 in London.
So, if you don’t want to be caught out by these new parking fines, make sure you have an affordable long term parking solution. Check out the enquiry form on this website to find out just how cheap parking in London could be.
