C-charge extension 'targets the wrong area'

Plans for the western extension to London's congestion zone are under fire today after a survey highlighted that some of the worst-choked roads are to the north, south and east of the city centre.

The "dirty dozen" routes, where gridlock is often worse than key routes inside the proposed expansion area in Chelsea and Kensington, were pinpointed by the RAC Foundation.

Questions are being raised over why the extension to the zone is not covering the busier routes. Some business groups accuse Mayor Ken Livingstone of using it simply to raise revenue.

According to the foundation's survey, one of the worst roads for gridlock outside the proposed extension area is Upper Street in Islington, just north of the existing zone, where congestion frequently outstrips levels anywhere in west London.

Compared with King's Road in Chelsea - where there is a similar mix of shopping, housing and restaurants - Upper Street suffers "worse" congestion throughout the working week.

Fulham Road is another key route where motorists will have to pay £8 under Mr Livingstone's proposals. It was found to be "reasonably free-flowing throughout much of the day" compared with Holloway Road, where motorists face congestion from early morning to late evening.

Bayswater Road, a key route inside the proposed new boundary, is described as "easily passable at most hours of the day", despite heavy traffic. The foundation compared it with Camberwell New Road in south London, where new bus lanes and traffic volume often restrict commuters' progress to a crawl, and where there are no congestion charge plans.

Other choked routes highlighted include the Blackwall Tunnel approach roads, Whitechapel Road through Whitechapel and Mile End, the Old Kent Road and Commercial Road to the east.

To the south, traffic hotspots include South Lambeth Road (A203) and Wandsworth Road (A3036), both leading to Vauxhall Cross on the edge of the existing charging zone. Badly congested roads to the north include Essex Road (A104) and Camden Road (A503).

Edmund King, executive director of the RAC Foundation, said: "There is no possible logic for singling out west London for this proposed extension. There are many other areas that are far more congested. Many key routes that cross the proposed new charging zone have very little congestion at all. Of course King's Road gets busy but that is a sign of a vibrant shopping and entertainments culture. Without people coming into the district, many by car, the area would die.

"Experience tends to suggest this latest scheme is all about revenue raising, not combating congestion."

Transport for London has launched a consultation into the extension and says that 20,000 residents in a "buffer" area outside the zone will get resident discounts and that charging will end at 6pm instead of 6.30pm to help restaurants, theatres and cinemas.

Jo Valentine of business campaign group London First said business remained frustrated at the Mayor's "unwillingness to... address problems with congestion hotspots, none of which is in the proposed extension". Ben Pinnington, of the Forum of Private Business, said the survey showed the Mayor was "just intent on swelling his coffers".

TfL said the extension zone was the "next-most congested area attached to the existing charging zone" and had a natural boundary route for vehicles not always present in other congested areas.