Top car makers support road-jam charging
Discussion
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Big 12 motor and oil firms back city congestion move
By Rob Edwards, Environment Editor
AN alliance of some of the world’s most powerful car and oil companies has come out in favour of congestion charging as a way of tackling the problems caused by the spiralling growth in traffic.
While local businesses have been opposing the plan to introduce congestion charging in Edinburgh, 12 major multinationals have backed road pricing as an “effective” way of cutting rush-hour congestion.
The 12 include eight of the best-known names in the motor business, namely Ford, General Motors, Honda, DaimlerChrysler, Toyota, Nissan, Renault and Volks wagen.
They are joined by three energy companies – BP, Shell and Norsk Hydro – and the tyre company Michelin.
Under the auspices of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, they have banded together to produce a report called Mobility 2030.
This investigates how people can continue to have safe and affordable transport without destroying the environment.
In a section on “mitigating congestion”, the report points out that congestion charging “provides a financial incentive to adjust travel times, choose alternative routes, share rides, combine trips or eliminate them entirely”.
It says that when congestion charging schemes have been introduced, often in the teeth of fierce opposition, they have been successful. An electronic scheme in Singapore can now vary charges in real time.
The scheme in London was the first in which an elected authority took the political risk of imposing charges on motorists, it says. This has resulted in an average 30% decrease in traffic delays, rising to a 60% decrease in disruption for buses.
There was “no evidence of significant adverse traffic impacts” outside the central charging zone, argues the report. And surveys had found “little evidence to support the concern that the charge might adversely impact business”.
Despite initial concerns, the report concludes: “Road pricing appears to be effective in reducing peak-hour congestion in some situations.”
Unusually for a report by big business, this one has been warmly welcomed by high-profile environment and transport campaigners.
“We don’t always agree with groups like the World Business Council for Sustainable Development,” said Duncan McLaren, chief executive of Friends of the Earth Scotland.
“However, on this occasion they are right to suggest that tackling rising traffic levels will require the use of demand management strategies such as congestion charging.
“Given this view is now shared by one of the world’s leading business think-tanks, it is time for Scotland’s business community to fall into line and back congestion charging.”
McLaren argued that congestion charging had been shown to work in London, and should now be introduced in Edinburgh.
“Those politicians and businesses opposed to congestion charging must come up with a credible alternative, as the failure to tackle traffic growth will leave Scotland’s roads gridlocked and pollution levels rising,” he said.
The proposed Edinburgh scheme was the subject of a 10-week public inquiry between April and July this year. The outcome is expected some time next month.
Many local retailers and residents opposed the scheme, fearful that it would damage trade and raise costs. They also argued that it could create “rat-runs” around the city as motorists try to avoid crossing the charging cordon.
The scheme is backed by the Labour group, which controls the City of Edinburgh Council. But it is opposed by the Conservatives and by the local Liberal Democrats, despite the party’s national policy being in favour of congestion charging.
The intervention of the 12 car and oil companies has also been greeted with enthusiasm by the public transport umbrella group, TRANSform Scotland.
“This is a welcome and long overdue recognition by business that road pricing offers the best hope for tackling traffic congestion,” said the group’s Colin Howden. Both the Scottish First Minister, Jack McConnell, and the Westminster transport secretary, Alistair Darling, have recently suggested that the future for restraining traffic growth is a national road-pricing scheme.
“It is about time that the Scottish business sector took its head out of the sand and supported government efforts to tackle traffic,” argued Howden.
“The best way forward would be for the Scottish Executive to make it a condition that the Scottish cities receive funding for transport only if they commit to take new steps to control traffic growth.”
TRANSform Scotland is hosting a conference on road pricing at the Radisson SAS Hotel in Edinburgh on Monday, October 4. Sponsored by the Sunday Herald, it will feature the government’s leading transport adviser, David Begg, as well as the architects of London’s congestion charge scheme. Further details about the conference are available from TRANSform Scotland, Lamb’s House, Burgess Street, Edinburgh EH6 6RD, telephone 0131 467 7714
Big 12 motor and oil firms back city congestion move
By Rob Edwards, Environment Editor
AN alliance of some of the world’s most powerful car and oil companies has come out in favour of congestion charging as a way of tackling the problems caused by the spiralling growth in traffic.
While local businesses have been opposing the plan to introduce congestion charging in Edinburgh, 12 major multinationals have backed road pricing as an “effective” way of cutting rush-hour congestion.
The 12 include eight of the best-known names in the motor business, namely Ford, General Motors, Honda, DaimlerChrysler, Toyota, Nissan, Renault and Volks wagen.
They are joined by three energy companies – BP, Shell and Norsk Hydro – and the tyre company Michelin.
Under the auspices of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, they have banded together to produce a report called Mobility 2030.
This investigates how people can continue to have safe and affordable transport without destroying the environment.
In a section on “mitigating congestion”, the report points out that congestion charging “provides a financial incentive to adjust travel times, choose alternative routes, share rides, combine trips or eliminate them entirely”.
It says that when congestion charging schemes have been introduced, often in the teeth of fierce opposition, they have been successful. An electronic scheme in Singapore can now vary charges in real time.
The scheme in London was the first in which an elected authority took the political risk of imposing charges on motorists, it says. This has resulted in an average 30% decrease in traffic delays, rising to a 60% decrease in disruption for buses.
There was “no evidence of significant adverse traffic impacts” outside the central charging zone, argues the report. And surveys had found “little evidence to support the concern that the charge might adversely impact business”.
Despite initial concerns, the report concludes: “Road pricing appears to be effective in reducing peak-hour congestion in some situations.”
Unusually for a report by big business, this one has been warmly welcomed by high-profile environment and transport campaigners.
“We don’t always agree with groups like the World Business Council for Sustainable Development,” said Duncan McLaren, chief executive of Friends of the Earth Scotland.
“However, on this occasion they are right to suggest that tackling rising traffic levels will require the use of demand management strategies such as congestion charging.
“Given this view is now shared by one of the world’s leading business think-tanks, it is time for Scotland’s business community to fall into line and back congestion charging.”
McLaren argued that congestion charging had been shown to work in London, and should now be introduced in Edinburgh.
“Those politicians and businesses opposed to congestion charging must come up with a credible alternative, as the failure to tackle traffic growth will leave Scotland’s roads gridlocked and pollution levels rising,” he said.
The proposed Edinburgh scheme was the subject of a 10-week public inquiry between April and July this year. The outcome is expected some time next month.
Many local retailers and residents opposed the scheme, fearful that it would damage trade and raise costs. They also argued that it could create “rat-runs” around the city as motorists try to avoid crossing the charging cordon.
The scheme is backed by the Labour group, which controls the City of Edinburgh Council. But it is opposed by the Conservatives and by the local Liberal Democrats, despite the party’s national policy being in favour of congestion charging.
The intervention of the 12 car and oil companies has also been greeted with enthusiasm by the public transport umbrella group, TRANSform Scotland.
“This is a welcome and long overdue recognition by business that road pricing offers the best hope for tackling traffic congestion,” said the group’s Colin Howden. Both the Scottish First Minister, Jack McConnell, and the Westminster transport secretary, Alistair Darling, have recently suggested that the future for restraining traffic growth is a national road-pricing scheme.
“It is about time that the Scottish business sector took its head out of the sand and supported government efforts to tackle traffic,” argued Howden.
“The best way forward would be for the Scottish Executive to make it a condition that the Scottish cities receive funding for transport only if they commit to take new steps to control traffic growth.”
TRANSform Scotland is hosting a conference on road pricing at the Radisson SAS Hotel in Edinburgh on Monday, October 4. Sponsored by the Sunday Herald, it will feature the government’s leading transport adviser, David Begg, as well as the architects of London’s congestion charge scheme. Further details about the conference are available from TRANSform Scotland, Lamb’s House, Burgess Street, Edinburgh EH6 6RD, telephone 0131 467 7714
Hmmm, if big companies support congestion charging then they don't have to be public about it.
I've got to admit I'd think twice about buying a car from a company that supports pricing you off the road...
That said if they've got the car that you wanna buy then what alternative is there?
Having said all of that, by all means put congestion charging in Edinburgh. It'll just mean more business goes to Glasgow
Guess where I'm from.....
But seriously it'll mean all those folk that come down from the North will pick Glasgow due to the lower hassle factor. Mind you they already do due to Glasgow's better shop selection.
Andy
I've got to admit I'd think twice about buying a car from a company that supports pricing you off the road...
That said if they've got the car that you wanna buy then what alternative is there?
Having said all of that, by all means put congestion charging in Edinburgh. It'll just mean more business goes to Glasgow
Guess where I'm from.....
But seriously it'll mean all those folk that come down from the North will pick Glasgow due to the lower hassle factor. Mind you they already do due to Glasgow's better shop selection.
Andy
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