Today Sadiq Khan proposed a £3.50 daily charge for motorists driving into Greater London to help fix Transport for London's finances. The charge would apply to vehicles registered outside of the capital, on top the Mayor's £15 Congestion Charge and Ultra Low Emission Zone charge. Keith Prince AM, GLA Conservative Transport Spokesman, commented: “Sadiq Khan’s proposal to charge people to drive into the capital would be devastating to Outer London. It would not only hammer struggling businesses that rely on trade from people outside London, but also hurt the poorest who drive into the city for work and to visit friends and family.
“Instead of introducing a punitive charge to fix TfL’s finances, the Mayor ought to cut the transport network’s waste. Sadiq Khan could save millions of pounds by reforming TfL’s pensions, reducing trade union facility time and scrapping unaffordable perks. Coronavirus is not the sole reason for TfL’s cash crisis. It’s time the Mayor took responsibility for his mismanagement and got waste at TfL under control.
“There is cross-party support for devolving the Vehicle Excise Duty to City Hall. This would bring in £500 million to help TfL maintain our city’s roads and transport network. The Mayor should focus on securing this change for London instead of punitive charges which would do more harm than good.”
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