What a load of tosh, as usual.If they were that expensive to implement they wouldn’t be put in. The initial costs aren’t significant compared to the income generated and the lines and signage, once in place, are untroubled with maintenance for years.The enforcement is the easy part, of course. Wardens patrol streets, including on mopeds, and fines issued go into the pot.Ealing makes a large amount from CPZ permit charges, including visitor ones. Perhaps Lambert could either price what he says by producing some figures or admit he’s just making stuff up again.Yes, surplus is ring fenced but not spent on maintaining roads or pavements in most areas.There was a major problem in this area with commuter and airport parking and I was happy to see a CPZ introduced to combat that, but as others point out here it’s been abused by the authorities as a convenient tax raiser from vehicle owners (not just cars, of course). Ealing compounds its disregard for residents by whoring out all zones to zipcar, with no consultation with residents or notice of the introduction of the scheme. Conveniently that company benefits from council policy, to the detriment of CPZ permit holders who often can’t park anywhere near their homes.And before lambert gets on his high horse (careful you don’t topple off old chap) the inconsistency in such policy is glaring. You either say all cars are bad and stop everything rather than give favours to car hire companies, or you go back to the common sense approach of freedom of choice.That’s the trouble with you Labour types. You just can’t help but think everything you do, say or think is the right thing.
Simon Hayes ● 305d