A FAIR DEAL FOR THE MOTORIST

“KHANFUSED OVER PARKING?” - IT’S HIGHWAY ROBBERY!

In 2016 Sadiq Khan was elected Mayor of London on a bland manifesto pledging to “Maintain the Congestion Charge at its current level” and tackle congestion through harmless-sounding measures like encouraging car clubs as a means of reducing congestion and demand for parking.

He would not have got elected if it had come out with aggressive anti-motorist proposals like those in his draft Mayor’s Transport Strategy.

· BARKING ON PARKING….

The 32 London boroughs are obliged to support the Mayor’s Transport Strategy, once finalised. As part of ‘traffic reduction strategies’, they will have to consider ‘road user charging’ (read ‘road pricing’, effectively extending the Congestion Charge) and/or ‘Workplace Parking Levies’ – effectively a tax on going to work.

Although the timeframe indicated is about 2020, remember that Khan has been prepared to bring forward other plans (e.g. ULEZ).

Mayor Khan’s Manifesto suggested car clubs “as a means of reducing demand for parking”. But he is now stealthily suggesting “the provision of car clubs for residents when paired with a reduction in the availability of private parking”. In other words, the aim is a reduction in the supply of private parking.

Khan cloyingly warns that “TfL’s stations and stops will be designed for ...an attractive public realm (not defined)… rather than car parking and pickup/drop-off spaces.” As more cycle parking is to be provided, this points to car parking being made less convenient or even spaces being removed. This is also coded as: (the) “sustainable choice must be the easiest option every time, particularly at places where people change between transport modes.”

Many drivers were previously swayed by government propaganda to buy diesel cars as a ‘greener’ motoring option. Although it is the current government’s intention not to penalise them, Khan is quite keen to take action against diesel vehicles in London. Measures will include road charging and the imposition of parking charges/

Levies. Imposing steeper parking charges would be simply daft, as any vehicle parked with its engine turned off will not have any emissions!

There are also plans to compel ‘car-free’ and ‘car-lite’ housing developments, such as in ‘Opportunity Areas’ where opportunities for parking are reduced or even denied.

· OTHER ANTI-MOTORIST POSSIBILITIES INCLUDE

This is the third of four pages outlining the proposals. The first covers:

• The threat of extending the Congestion Charge (road pricing) Londonwide, with boroughs charging motorists to use local roads
• New ways of paying for road use, with a view to slashing car use
• Taxation levels to discourage ownership of conventional vehicles
• The desire to take over VED (‘road tax’) and set the level.

The second covers:

• Measures to discourage car use
• Measures to reallocate road space away from drivers
• Gratuitous ‘car-free days’ and road closures using flimsy excuses
• Pernicious gestures against personal freedom, even on car-sharing!

Other proposals and our positive alternatives are covered on a fourth page.

The above pages provide information on how to simply object to the proposals.

Please object a.s.a.p. and get your friends to do the same.

The Mayor and his PC crew are counting on you doing nothing and just paying up!

CLICK FOR HOW TO OBJECT

References: MTS physical pages 30, 40, 43, 44, 60, 102, 138 in the PDF (/151)

MANY THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT

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