Mayor wants to extend car charges

The congestion charging zone could be expanded by Mayor Ken Livingstone to include all of Kensington and Chelsea, and possibly Westminster.

The scheme to charge motorists £5 a day to drive in central London is due to start in February next year and the Mayor has stated that if residents judge the initial phase a success, he will include an extension in his manifesto when he campaigns for reelection in 2004.

The charge must first survive a legal challenge from Westminster council, which wants a public inquiry.

Today Mr Livingstone's office confirmed he would extend the scheme if it proved a success and his Transport for London office estimated this could be introduced by the end of 2004. But TfL refused to say where the new boundary would lie, dismissing claims that it would follow the borders of the two boroughs as "speculation".

Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster have both requested that they be included wholly in the scheme from day one, to prevent the charging zone boundary cutting through their areas and creating rat-runs for motorists trying to avoid the charge.

An extension would mean thousands more motorists being forced to pay the charge which will be imposed from 7am to 6.30pm on weekdays. It would spark fresh protests from them - and from residents caught on the new boundary where additional "rat-running" could occur.

Mr Livingstone believes his reelection would amount to an endorsement of his scheme which has been bitterly opposed by some boroughs. Today, Westminster council leader Simon Milton said: "TfL seems to be making up the scheme as it goes along. But if it wasn't going to work in the centre, why would extending it make it work?"

Kensington and Chelsea deputy leader, Daniel Moylan, said: "Mr Livingstone said that if the scheme is a success he will extend it but how will we know if it is a success? He has only set out one criterion; that congestion inside the zone drops by 10-15 per cent - he has not even said how he will gauge that.

"We are very worried about the consequences for the rest of London. He has set no targets outside the zone."

TfL has acknowledged that technical problems may delay the launch.

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