Phil’s Diary - [Blog @ http://www.philsdiary.net/]
I’ve already mentioned that one of the things I like the most is that bit of the morning between being awake and asleep, but still being nice and warm in bed. I guess I should also mention then, those few seconds when you get into a nice hot bath. Shortlived, but still nice.
Today’s hot potato is congestion charging in London. They’re going to do a 60day trial early next year. London’s mayor sounds pretty sensible about it, ie. that if it doesn’t work, they’ll stop.
I’m not quite sure how they expect it to work though. No one sits in traffic jams because they want to. They do it because there’s no other reasonable method of getting where they want to.
As an example, for me to get to work by means other than car would mean one heck of a long journey, so if I sit in jams (which incidentally I don’t.… the jams are always the other way), it’s because it would most likely take me three hours going by another route.
You’d expect in London that pretty much anyone who can get to work another way would be doing by now (with the congestion, expensive parking and so on).
I guess the only way they’ll force people off the roads with this scheme is by making it far far too expensive to even consider.
And this is where the other argument comes in. Some have suggested that although the public statement is “charges to reduce congestion”, the real subtext is “make more money for the government”. It’s an interesting idea.
The one thing you have to say in defence of the scheme is that they’ve realised they will need to beef up the alternatives otherwise there’s going to be overcrowding on the alternatives.
As ever, regardless of how it all works out, I expect plenty of spin and stage management, so those of us outside the city will never really know.
I’m going to go and get ready for the Grand Prix this afternoon, probably by watching one of the “racing” DVDs I’ve got (Driven, Days of Thunder etc. etc.)
Posted by Phil on September 15, 2002 10:05 AM | Categories: Lazy weekend