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Motorists face London levy
26/02/2002 18:10 - (SA)
London - Motorists will be charged £5 a day to drive into central London under a controversial scheme to cut chronic congestion, mayor Ken Livingstone announced on Tuesday.
The toll, which will not apply at weekends, will begin on February 17 next year, he said in a statement.
He hopes the scheme will raise up to £150 million a year, which will be used to improve public transport and cut congestion in the city by 10 to 15 percent.
"For the first time, there will be a serious attempt to tackle the chronic traffic congestion in central London," he declared.
Motorists will be charged if they want to drive into a central zone between 07:00 and 18:30 local time.
Some 230 cameras will be installed to take pictures of car licence plates, which will then be checked with a central database to see if the daily fee has been paid.
Livingstone's scheme has come under fire from critics who say the capital's public transport system - buses, the rickety underground rail network known as the Tube, and suburban rail - is still nowhere near good enough.
Supporters say it would be good for safety, the environment and the economy and would provide a much-needed impetus to improve public transport. - Sapa-AFP
- SAPA
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