London congestion charge extension to be scrapped

The western extension to London's congestion charge zone is to be scrapped after two-thirds of Londoners and businesses said they wanted it removed, Mayor Boris Johnson said.

A consultation on the future of the extension, brought in by former mayor Ken Livingstone in last February, found that 67 per cent of individuals and 86 per cent of businesses favoured scrapping the scheme.

With a few exceptions, such as taxi drivers and motorcyclists, all motorists have to pay a weekday charge of £8 to drive through the parts of London covered by the scheme.

Plans to extend the congestion charge zone, the world's largest, had always attracted fierce opposition and in the manifesto for the Conservatives' election campaign earlier this year, Mr Johnson had vowed to ask the public for their views.

"I promised that I would respect their opinions and I promised that if clear support for a particular way forward emerged then I would act on that opinion," he said.

"Londoners have spoken loud and clear, and the majority of people have said that they would like the scheme scrapped."

Mr Johnson said he had now started the legal process to remove the extension, which includes top shopping areas such as Chelsea's Kings Road; Knightsbridge, which is home to luxury store Harrods; Kensington and Notting Hill.

The earliest this can be completed is in early 2010. Business groups welcomed the move but Mr Johnson's decision was branded a "foolish and backward step" by his Labour opponents on the London Assembly and one that would cost Transport for London (TfL) £70 million.

"London's environment as a whole will suffer and local residents will no longer enjoy having 30,000 fewer cars a day clogging up their streets," said Labour's transport spokesperson Val Shawcross.