London's motorists could face a dismally expensive year if the London Assembly Green Group's suggested changes to Boris Johnson's 2010/2011 budget win approval.
Currently, BoJo is looking to raise £75 million in the capital by raising bus fares by 12.7 per cent. Instead, the yoghurt-eaters of the Green Group suggest that the increase could be raised "mostly from motorists".
The report proposes that the London Assembly should reinstate plans to put a £25 emission charge on what it calls 'gas guzzlers' (which, we assume, means any car putting out more than a certain amount of CO2) in the c-charge zone. In addition, the report suggests that the western extension of the congestion charge zone should remain.
It also slams Boris's plans to drop bendy buses, describing them as a "vanity project".
The Green Group also calls for an extra £2.8 million for the London Safety Camera Partnership, and £3 million for a blanket 20mph limit for two London boroughs. It also wants to increase spending on what it calls 'low-carbon zones' to the tune of £4 million. Talk about wringing the motorist dry...
If you're prepared to get quite angry, read the London Assembly Green Group's full report here. But please remember for the sake of your blood pressure on a Monday - this is only a report. It's not law yet...