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Transport Special - Congestion Charging
February 27, 2002 12:00 AM
Ken Livingstone hopes his Congestion Charge scheme will reduce congestion by 15%. How would you react if you learned that you could get that 15% reduction without having to charge a penny? That's what happened in South Perth, Australia. At the London Assembly's international seminar held on 31 January 2002, Werner Brog, Managing Director of Social Data Institute in Munich, electrified an audience of over 100, including the key players from every Borough and agency, with what they had done there. The key to the Perth 'IndiMark' experiment in 1997 was to win the people's hearts and minds for public transport. They set out to get as many households involved as possible. 15,267 households were directly contacted and offered personalised information on how public transport could meet their needs. Only 918 households refused to take part. 37,000 letters, 29,000 phone calls, plus 616 home visits by Perth bus staff including bus drivers, led to around 42,000 separate items of information material about public transport services being sent into homes. Over 6,000 individualised packages and 3,200 personalised timetables were delivered. The real point here is that the people targeted were those who had never even considered using the bus. When they were shown how the bus could help with the journeys they had to make, with a timetable personalised so they weren't riffling through a couple of hundred pages, it made all the difference. Traffic was cut by 14% within months of the scheme's introduction; and this reduction has been maintained over succeeding years. Households were charged nothing for the service (they couldn't believe it!). Obviously all this effort cost the Government; but Werner Brog estimates that for every £1 million invested there is a £13 million saving. Similar projects are underway in Germany, the USA, France and Sweden. In Britain, pilot schemes have been completed in Frome and Gloucester. Other international experience Equally inspiring though much more complex and long-term were the successful policies in Zurich, Switzerland, presented by Ruedi Ott. A city-wide referendum among the 1 million citizens backed a policy of putting public transport first. Modern tramways with electronics capable of changing traffic lights up ahead put cars at a disadvantage. Simple through-ticketing made it easy to use bus, tram, rail and river. Cycling was actively encouraged, including providing 300 bikes rent free for whole day use at six city 'docking stations'. Adshel are poised to trial a similar scheme in Camden, and if the outcome is successful, should be developed across London. Taking these ideas forward In setting up the Conference, the Assembly found a key role for itself in bringing London together to inform and promote a proper debate and discussion. Representatives from almost all London Boroughs attended, and several were keen to see the IndiMark scheme piloted in their own borough. The Assembly is now in a powerful position to push for additional schemes which can run alongside congestion charging for the central Zone, and bring results further out in the rest of London. Derek Turner - the key person in charge of congestion charging and our streets for Transport for London - came to our seminar and stayed right to the end. It so impressed him that he is now considering taking the Perth scheme forward in outer London. Our consultant has identified two companies, including Werner Brog's Munich operation, who have come up with successful schemes. Discussions held with key people at Transport for London last week suggested that within the next two or three years finance could be available to support two contrasting London Boroughs who wished to pilot IndiMark or its competitor. Lynne Featherstone, LibDem transport spokesperson at the GLA who organised the seminar, says, "I would like to see Borough Councils being leaders in the field of developing projects to reduce car use based on successful international practice."
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