# Submitted by Kent (not verified) on Friday, 18 Apr 2008.
Having experienced the congestion charge in London for 3 years, I'm not sure if I'd like to see it in Wellington - even though I am currently commuting from Tawa on a 50cc scooter and should therefore be exempt from the charge.
My memory is a bit sketchy on the details, but I seem to recall the stats on the London CC being only 85-90% effective. Meaning that the vast majority of users just pay the charge. And that is in London, a city with amazing public transport.
I'm especially concerned about the mention of the zone starting as far out as Pukerua Bay! There's got to be some implementation issues there, because why should I pay a charge for driving from Pukerua Bay to Porirua? Is there massive congestion in Porirua that needs clearing? At least in London, there was a ring of cameras (plus mobile ones in vans) that defined the border, and you're either in or out. Charging people who travel further seems a bit harsh, they're already paying more for petrol.
I think spending some of the revenue on improving more than just public transport is a good idea. Extend the bypass (which really bypasses nothing at all) much closer to the airport - and put buses on it of course.
Having experienced the congestion charge in London for 3 years, I'm not sure if I'd like to see it in Wellington - even though I am currently commuting from Tawa on a 50cc scooter and should therefore be exempt from the charge.
My memory is a bit sketchy on the details, but I seem to recall the stats on the London CC being only 85-90% effective. Meaning that the vast majority of users just pay the charge. And that is in London, a city with amazing public transport.
I'm especially concerned about the mention of the zone starting as far out as Pukerua Bay! There's got to be some implementation issues there, because why should I pay a charge for driving from Pukerua Bay to Porirua? Is there massive congestion in Porirua that needs clearing? At least in London, there was a ring of cameras (plus mobile ones in vans) that defined the border, and you're either in or out. Charging people who travel further seems a bit harsh, they're already paying more for petrol.
I think spending some of the revenue on improving more than just public transport is a good idea. Extend the bypass (which really bypasses nothing at all) much closer to the airport - and put buses on it of course.