Tom Anderson wrote:

On Thu, 5 Oct 2006, Earl Purple wrote:

The issues are not so much with those in the zone but with those just
outside who now have to pay the full charge to access what is inside.
Perhaps the solution is to have multiple charging zones, give residents
totally free access to their own zone and any immediate neighbouring
one, thus you have to cross through 2 zone boundaries before you have to
pay.

Makes sense - although having a you-count-as-residents neutral zone around
a charging zone has much the same effect.

Not quite. If a resident "just outside" is given the privelege of going
into the whole zone, then they can now start driving right across it,
as would be the case for any residents of Notting Hill, who were
previously outside of the zone but now having been pulled inside it may
be more inclined to use their cars even when going into the old zone.

An example of a facility across the boundary is the Brunswick Shopping
Centre around Marchmont Street, WC1. This is just inside and used to
have (don't know if it's still there) a big supermarket.

There is - it recently reopened as a Waitrose. I bought a couple of
bottles of Bordeaux blanc there only this week.

Those who lived in Somers Town would probably have used it. Now those
who live in Somers Town would probably go up to the Sainsbury's in
Camden or the Morrison's in Chalk Farm instead.

You're kidding, right? It's a straightforward walk, or a few minutes on a
bus. Driving there from Somers Town would be insane, even without the
charge.

Yes but depends on how much you want to buy. For a big shopping trip,
it may be a big problem carrying it all home on the bus. Yes, you can
get home-delivery if they happen to have everything that they stock
listed on the website.

I'd like to mention the system I saw in Madrid: bodies on the ground
enforcing local access only for locals and limited deliveries - but
there's no profit in that scheme is there?

Not sure I like the idea either. Taking away people's freedom.

Sigh. Taking away one set of people's freedom to drive their cars wherever
they like, and bringing a new freedom to walk to another, larger, set of
people. I'd be in favour of that.

Actually I'd be in favour of having the road in which I live as a
through road for the residents only. That means having a gate somewhere
blocking through access for most vehicles but given residents a means
to open it. Emergency services would also have a device to open such
gates. Residents riding in cabs could open it for the cab driver.
Delivery vans would generally not have through access unless a resident
opened it for them. There could be certain times at which the gate is
open anyway and there would be a gap for cyclists at all times.

Of course that would also mean I would not be able to use other
rat-runs if they put up similar schemes.

Some pedestrianised areas have hours during which delivery vehicles are
allowed access.