Notting Hill Diary

8 Responses

1. luke Says:
   December 24th, 2008 at 12:26 am

   I couldnt agree more.

2. El Buccanero Says:
   December 24th, 2008 at 1:31 am

   I still say keep the C charge!

   But be honest and say it is there to dissuade people from driving.

   Trouble is that the reason that BloJo says he can’t stop it is that he is needs the revenue and needs time to invent something to make up the shortfall when he stops it.

   I can see it now: Boris Reinstates Window Tax

3. jane doh! Says:
   December 24th, 2008 at 10:08 am

   But errm didn’t ken drop the charge over christmas new year anyway? Why I’d almost call it a tradition

4. The Scribe Says:
   December 24th, 2008 at 11:38 am

   I wasn’t aware of that Ms Doh. Quite how it passed me by I’m not sure, but last Xmas/NY is a bit of a haze.

   El Buc, I’m all for measures to persuade people to drive less, but the issue with the western extension is that it was addressing a problem that didn’t really exist. Apart from right now with all the temporary traffic lights and their ridiculous 10 minute cycles, I’m hard pressed to recall a traffic jam in Notting Hill.

   On the other hand it does (or more likely did while they had jobs) allow city boys who lived in Notting Hill to drive to the City instead of taking PT.

5. luke Says:
   December 24th, 2008 at 12:59 pm

   Does ‘el buccanero’ not see the strain that the charge has put on roads that didnt have a problem before the ‘c’ charge? or the problems that those within the zone have to deal with on a daily basis? What about those who have to drive for miles to avoid a single road and the charge incurred just to reach the end of one street that just happens to be in the ‘zone’? etc etc etc etc etc? the hassle is infinite (man)
   I don’t have a car or drive yet i think it does nothing of any good for our roads and has not made our roads any easier or safer in my (self important) opinion.

6. Jane Doh! Says:
   December 25th, 2008 at 9:10 am

   all I know is that I miss all my lovely friends in the land of the Scribe and never see them any more because I am too stingy to pay £8 to visit them. Go Boris! Get rid of it sooner

7. j.norris Says:
   January 9th, 2009 at 1:34 pm

   well all this talk about a christmas gift of no congestion charge meant that i was obviously under a false illusion this year. on 24th december i googled the question ‘is there congestion charge for christmas eve. in hindsight maybe i should have put 2008 as i have just received a damn pcn for £60 for driving the 200yds from my workplace on ken high street . I am fuming!! why does nobody listen to the hardworking taxpayers that meerly step through the zone. sooo frustrating.and expensive.

8. The Scribe Says:
   January 9th, 2009 at 1:44 pm

   I’ve been caught out like that a couple of times. One of their least fair gotchas is that going into town on the Westway, if you come off at the Paddington exit you don’t go through the C zone, but coming out of town onto the Westway at Paddington you go through about 100yrds of it.