Decision to maintain existing London Congestion Charge boundary will protect businesses, says Logistics UK

The business group had urged Transport Secretary Grant Shapps not to extend the £15 London Congestion Charge zone to the North and South Circulars in just 12 months’ time.

David Wells, Logistics UK’s Chief Executive, wrote to Shapps expressing serious concerns about a proposed extension to the zone.

The extension had been proposed by government as a condition of the multibillion-pound bailout package of Transport for London (TfL), following its collapse in fare income during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In his letter to the Transport Secretary, Wells outlined the industry’s concerns about this proposal and asked for it to be removed from the negotiations. He warned that expanding the Congestion Charge could put logistics operators out of business.

Responding to the news that the government has refrained from including the expansion as a condition of the TfL bailout package, Wells said:

“The government’s decision to listen to the concerns of Logsitics UK and its members – as outlined in my letter to Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP, the Secretary of State for Transport – and refrain from expanding the London Congestion Charge is a huge relief to logistics businesses, many of whom continue to struggle financially and operationally as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.

“Now, Logistics UK is urging government to reconsider whether logistics activity should still be included in the temporary conditions added in June 2020, which saw a significant increase in the fee and longer operating hours. With little alternative to using lorries and vans to keep London stocked with all the goods the population needs, it simply amounts to an additional tax on those charged with supporting the capital during the pandemic and beyond.”

*https://logistics.org.uk/campaigns/urban-logistics

Published On: 05/11/2020 14:04:58

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