HUGHES LAUNCHES FIRST WAVE OF C-CHARGE CHANGES

12.01.00am GMT Mon 16th Feb 2004

Congestion Charge changes have been announced by Simon Hughes

Liberal Democrat Mayoral candidate Simon Hughes today launched some of the key changes that he proposes to the Congestion charge scheme a year after its inception.

Mr Hughes and the Liberal Democrats at City Hall have put forward a series of improvements on the Congestion Charge and propose to:-

· INTRODUCE block purchasing/pre pay of C-charge passes

· GIVE five free goes into the Congestion charge zone

· EXTEND the period for paying at the normal rate up to midnight and for all of the following day

· SCRAP the C-Charge between Christmas and New Year

· HALT any expansion of the scheme into Kensington and Chelsea

Simon Hughes said:-

"While the scheme in its infancy was a step in the right direction and welcomed by the Liberal Democrats, the path the Mayor is now treading is a dangerous one.

"It is time for a fresh direction to get congestion charging working for Londoners rather than against them; to improve their lives rather than make them a misery; to encourage shoppers back to London streets and to stop law abiding motorists from being unnecessarily fined by Capita.

"While the blinkered Tories fail to accept the benefits of the scheme and Blair's Mayor wants to overextend the capacity of the zone, we want to increase the benefits and reduce the problems. "

On the scrapping of plans to extend the C-charge zone into Kensington & Chelsea Simon Hughes said:-

"Extending the scheme further will be like trying to run before the congestion charge zone can walk. Report after report has highlighted problems with the existing system that need to be ironed out before expansion should even begin to be considered. There is clear evidence that an expansion would be costly and not help manage traffic levels in this area of London."

ENDS

Notes to editor

Further changes to the scheme will be announced in the coming weeks

Simon Hughes will also consult on five further changes, in the light of the full report on the effects of the first year, but only to be implemented, if supported, in February 2005:

1. Extending the zone to the rest of any borough presently covered by part of the zone, but only if a majority of the registered electors in the possible extension area in that borough voting in a local ballot agree.

2. Extending exemptions to further categories of key workers with an exceptionally strong case.

3. Varying the present hours of use.

4. Introducing a narrow buffer zone outside the present zone, where residents would pay a reduced charge.

5. Changing the C-charge rules for vehicle fleets to help small business