Author Topic: Congestion Charge For Birmingham  (Read 12204 times)

JudithM

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Re: Congestion Charge For Birmingham
« Reply #11 on: April 17, 2019, 01:46:54 PM »
These charges come into effect commencing January next year. This is officially a congestion charge, but it's aimed at air pollution. Prices being talked about are petrol cars manufactured before 2006 and diesel cars before 2015 will pay £8 per day. HGV's and buses £50 per day. The area covered will be everywhere within the inner city ring road (the number 8 bus route) quite a large area.


As I never drive into town, it's not going to bother me a lot, but I just wonder if all those City Councillors and Council upper echelon are exempt from these charges. Whilst I realise that we need to do something about pollution does it really need to cover such a large area. Surely this is going to hike up all transport cost and therefore increase the cost of living and encourage a lot of outlets that are struggling already to move out of the zone.
I think a firm can pay for passes for certain circumstances (staff working at the Children's Hospital for instance), and I have heard talk of a system whereby people visiting the hospital to visit patients (or for outpatient visits) can be reimbursed or have the payment levied.  I'm sure there are other exceptions as if deliveries are going to be hit hard with costs all that's going to happen is City Centre businesses are going to close or move.

Like yourself, I don't drive into town (in fact I don't drive at all!) so I will be interested to see if it does make much of a difference to traffic volumes & the number of people travelling on public transport.  I have a feeling it won't be as noticeable as expected, nor do I think it'll attract as much revenue as some of the figures hint at.  I've heard nothing in the way of plans for a Park & Ride system for instance, which you'd have thought would be a good first step towards stopping people driving into the City Centre.  The people who drive into work tend to be management who get free parking at their place of business & the cars they have wouldn't fall into those charged - the same would apply to most company vehicles as fleets are hired & upgraded regularly.

When the tunnels have been closed for maintenance, drivers have gone round the City rather than through, so I think for through traffic they'll just do that when the charges come into place & the traffic congestion will shift from the City Centre to elsewhere (not that those places aren't already congested themselves of course  :P ).    As for shoppers?  That's an interesting one and only time will tell if people stop coming in to Town to shop & just head to other places.

While this is needed to reduce pollution levels, it's also needed on the wider commute routes into the City & until there is a proper, reliable, joined up public transport system in place to offer a viable alternative for most motorists it's not going to happen.
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Phil

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Re: Congestion Charge For Birmingham
« Reply #12 on: April 17, 2019, 01:59:44 PM »
Judith


I agree with what you say, there were many alternatives that could have been tried prior to this congestion charge. As you say park & ride has never been tried except for the very small car parks at local rail stations. Also there was some talk about a parking space tax in the city some time back. whatever happened to that idea? Once again I see that those who can afford brand new cars with low emissions will be getting off scot free. If it's a congestion charge why aren't all cars being charged?
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Edmund Fifield

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Re: Congestion Charge For Birmingham
« Reply #13 on: April 17, 2019, 06:58:07 PM »
It's not a Congestion charge its. Pollution charge to make the Bham air clean by stopping cars & lorries entering.What a load of LIES.Its to put money into the Councils Coffers and to help with the Commonwealth Games.Are they going to stop Buses at the Inner Circle bus route,Of cause it would make people healthier by walking the rest of the way into the City ::) ::)
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robx52

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Re: Congestion Charge For Birmingham
« Reply #14 on: April 17, 2019, 07:27:48 PM »
When I need guitar strings I normally go to a shop on the Hagley road , I usually pay around £15 if I have to add £8 to that then I won't be going like a lot of other folk I would imagine. Shops that sell low priced items will really suffer.

Edmund Fifield

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Re: Congestion Charge For Birmingham
« Reply #15 on: April 17, 2019, 11:39:19 PM »
Will these Councillors Never Ever learn,I'm sorry to say one day there will be a revolution .But won't be here to see it O0 O0
Make every day a day to remember
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roy one

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Re: Congestion Charge For Birmingham
« Reply #16 on: April 18, 2019, 08:20:40 AM »
its just one more way of milking the motorist
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JudithM

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Re: Congestion Charge For Birmingham
« Reply #17 on: April 23, 2019, 01:17:49 PM »
Looks like the cab drivers are going to go on a go slow again for 9 days to try & bully the Council into giving them more money to upgrade their cabs.  The Council has already promised them £5,000.00 each.   >:(

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-48021881

I really don't know what makes them think they have the right to do this.  Every single person who works in the city centre is going to be hit by this charge one way or another.  If it's not directly because of charges for their vehicle it'll be for raised public transport costs, or shops & cafes putting prices up to make up for reduced customer numbers.  The last time they did one of these go slows in the evening rush hour it took me 2 1/2 hours to get home from work.  If I've got 9 days of that I'll go mental.

They don't have to work in the city centre (and I'm betting most of them get a large portion of their fares outside the city anyway), but most of us do.  I can't relocate the company offices I work in, but they can drive somewhere else to get paid.
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Spud

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Re: Congestion Charge For Birmingham
« Reply #18 on: April 23, 2019, 04:41:13 PM »
It always seems that it is Joe Public that has to pay for this sort of thing. We are long retired and rarely go in to the City by Car having the Bus Pass is so useful. But I do sympathise with those who have to go into the City to work lets be honest Public Transport is not that reliable or convenient with fares and Season Tickets rising regularly every year I can understand how commuters struggle. As for the Taxi Drivers on a go slow it will only add to the frustration of City Workers. OK we would all like clean air but someone it appears has to pay I suppose.
I don't if any one remembers but sometime ago Athens had a traffic problem they tried to get over it by limiting traffic by allowing by allowing only cars with even  registration numbers on alternative days and those with odd registration the other days heaven knows how the Greeks Coped with that. I remember an old Greek Friend of mine telling me that the British drive on the left the Americans on the Right and The Greeks in the shade.
Going back to the Birmingham Congestion it is a pity that more Park and Ride Facilities at Railway Stations are not available on the outskirts of Brum but I know from experience these places are often already over subscribed. I suppose if the proposed Congestion Charges was used to improve public transport roads and provide more Park and Ride facilities that would be some compensation to the Commuter. I know I can dream can't I ?
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GardenGerald

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Re: Congestion Charge For Birmingham
« Reply #19 on: April 23, 2019, 05:40:28 PM »
Hello
We have more green growth on the earths surface than ever before. This
means we have less pollution.
Fact not fiction. All these charges are just another rip off. We all need to stand up and fight
these people.
Gerald.

JudithM

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Re: Congestion Charge For Birmingham
« Reply #20 on: April 24, 2019, 01:23:22 PM »
It always seems that it is Joe Public that has to pay for this sort of thing. We are long retired and rarely go in to the City by Car having the Bus Pass is so useful. But I do sympathise with those who have to go into the City to work lets be honest Public Transport is not that reliable or convenient with fares and Season Tickets rising regularly every year I can understand how commuters struggle. As for the Taxi Drivers on a go slow it will only add to the frustration of City Workers. OK we would all like clean air but someone it appears has to pay I suppose.
I don't if any one remembers but sometime ago Athens had a traffic problem they tried to get over it by limiting traffic by allowing by allowing only cars with even  registration numbers on alternative days and those with odd registration the other days heaven knows how the Greeks Coped with that. I remember an old Greek Friend of mine telling me that the British drive on the left the Americans on the Right and The Greeks in the shade.
Going back to the Birmingham Congestion it is a pity that more Park and Ride Facilities at Railway Stations are not available on the outskirts of Brum but I know from experience these places are often already over subscribed. I suppose if the proposed Congestion Charges was used to improve public transport roads and provide more Park and Ride facilities that would be some compensation to the Commuter. I know I can dream can't I ?
I remember the thing about the odd & even license plates.  Other places charge for cars with single occupancy, which encourages people to car share.

Park & Ride would be a great thing, but I can't see where they would put the car parks.  Presumably, they would need to be as close to the inner ring road as possible, but all the available space is taken up as far as I can tell.
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JudithM

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Re: Congestion Charge For Birmingham
« Reply #21 on: April 24, 2019, 01:31:12 PM »
Hello
We have more green growth on the earths surface than ever before. This
means we have less pollution.
Fact not fiction. All these charges are just another rip off. We all need to stand up and fight
these people.
Gerald.
The planet is getting greener as there is more CO2 - what's polluting to us can be great for some sorts of plants.  Doesn't change the fact that those same pollutants are causing the temperature to rise, leading to more intense weather patterns - severe droughts in some places, unprecedented rain in other - and causing extinctions in animals & plants as their environments change beyond what they can adapt to.
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