Locals are up in arms after a Labour-led London council raked in close to £12 million in fines from motorists passing through a controversial Clean Air Neighbourhood, branding it a “cynical greenwashing scheme”. The Mail has more.
The traffic calming scheme, which works in a similar fashion to controversial Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTN), was made permanent by Hammersmith and Fulham Council in December 2021.
It has caused a furious reaction from residents who blasted it as nothing more than a cash-grab by the council that simply diverts traffic onto other roads.
One resident told the Telegraph: “It is blindingly obvious that the infrastructure supporting this naked money-making scheme is not fit for purpose.
“This is a cynical greenwashing scheme which diverts traffic elsewhere, does nothing to save the planet and benefits the richer residents of South Fulham living inside the leafy green streets, at the expense of those residents living along the main roads.” …
Others have raised concerns about the safety of women after Uber drivers refused to drive into the zone to drop women at their front doors over fears of being charged.
While residents within the borough are allowed to move freely amongst the streets, alongside black cab drivers, carers and businesses’ visitors, out-of-borough drivers will be fined.
The CAN, which takes aim at ‘rat-running’, covers New Kings Road, Wandsworth Bridge and the River Thame and took in £11.8 million from fining drivers last year.
The western scheme collected £7.8 million in fines in 2023 while the eastern scheme took in around £4 million in fines, according to the council’s data.
Further to this the council spent £20,000 on road markings and signage with a further £10,000 used for promotion letters and leaflets when it was first introduced. …
The traffic calming scheme works by using planters or barriers to stop traffic being able to drive along a certain route in hope that it will make roads more pedestrian-friendly and reduce air pollution.
Worth reading in full.
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Local councils and much of the political vermin running them couldn’t give a Flying F. about air pollution but give them an opportunity to fleece their constituents and they are up and running. None of the money that has been stolen will go back in to local neighbourhoods it will simply be pissed away on bonuses, director hellos and goodbyes and pensions. For the sake of virtue signalling a couple of local alphabet groups will be bunged a few quid and if there is a sizeable ethnic group they will be treated to some ostentatious party event that will hopefully keep the votes coming in.
Corrupt? Oh absolutely.
what a great comment – 100% spot on!
Thank you
I got here too late. ——-You beat me to it today. –My usual term is “Squirming hand wringing parasites”, but “Political Vermin” will do nicely.
Thanks varmin.
You will hand over all your money, and be happy.
Pickpocketing is now legal. The justifications are supposedly legal. The Artful Dodger was way before his time. We’re all marks now.
Screw the productive. That’s a great recipe.
O/T but still no explanation from DS over the closing of comments on the Melissa Kite Princess Kate article a few days ago……………..
Good point!