The London Borough of Hackney has reportedly volunteered to act as test bed for the UK’s first dynamic road user charging system, according to a report by the British Motorcyclists Association (BMF).
The BMF article states that while London mayor Sadiq Khan aims to introduce a charging system across the UK capital that would adjust the charge according to congestion, time of day and pollution levels, this scenario is “many years away from being ready to implement”.
Hackney, which commissioned a study into the feasibility of a road charging scheme in 2020, wants an equitable scheme and not one that will simply increase the cost of using a vehicle in London for everyone, possibly pricing those with low incomes off the roads.
A spokesperson for Hackney Council told the BMF: “Distance-based road user charging needs to also take account of factors such as income, disability and journey purpose. Otherwise it is just a scheme for improving motoring conditions for the rich.
“There needs to be a ‘just transition’ to ‘net zero carbon’. The limited road space in London and road user charging should be prioritised for tightly defined ‘essential traffic’ such as supporting the mobility of disabled people and freight, servicing and emergency trips.
“The system needs to build on emissions-based charging and take account of vehicle type, but also should ramp up to heavily penalise second or third cars owned by the same individual.”
Jim Freeman, chair of the BMF, said: “The dire state of TfL’s finances continues to drive what appear to be increasingly desperate attempts to increase revenue.
“People are literally voting with their feet, despite the coercion, not enough are ‘walking, cycling or using public transport’.”
You can learn more about the key trends and challenges affecting senior decision-makers who have responsibility for tolling, intelligent transportation systems and road pricing across the world at the 20th annual Road User Charging Conference in Brussels, Belgium on 07-08 March 2023. Click here for more information.
