Though it is "politically dangerous," London's congestion charge scheme can succeed. But what happens if it fails? Are there other alternatives to get rid of gridlock?
"Those few cities that have successfully introduced charges have sweetened drivers with trade-offs such as better roads or lower taxes. All Londons mayor is offering is a better bus service, financed by the £120m net annual revenues expected from the charge...Since Britain is Europes most congested country (see first chart) such a scheme has as good a chance of being accepted in London as anywhere in the world...If it fails, says Romes traffic chief, Maurizio Thomassini, urban congestion charging will be set back for a decade....One Californian trial has shown that a hybrid approach, using both regulation and price, can be effective."
Thanks to Abhijeet Chavan
FULL STORY: Avoiding gridlock
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