The closing date for the Congestion Charging Consultation is today (Mon 24th). I've just completed the survey that was available here. I think its fair to say some of the questions didn't provide an adequate opportunity to say what I really think, but this was the comments I made at the end:
We are being blackmailed by the Government to include congestion charging in the TIF bid and think it is outrageous we are being expected to absorb massive growth without no strings attached commitments to funding transport improvements.
I am strongly opposed to congestion charging - it will be expensive and bureaucratic to administer with most revenue taken by operators, will be intrusive as people are tracked round the city, and could potentially do great harm to the local economy (a matter not even touched on in this questionnaire), with the biggest losers being the least well off.
Congestion in Cambridge should be tackled by significant increases in capacity of all types of transport infrastructure - road (especially the A14 but also significant new roads to support new developments), off-road public transport (guided bus and/or rail), support for existing bus routes, and cycle facilities (e.g. dedicated and convenient off road routes, secure cycle parking in existing and new destinations).
If the government doesn't want to pay for this, agree to this or make it the priority obligation put on developers, we should totally oppose new developments of the scale being proposed. The current deal being offered to existing residents of massive development, wholly inadequate transport infrastructure, more congestion and then have congestion charging as well is totally unacceptable.
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