The trouble with local council elections is that unless there’s one happening in your patch, they are of zero interest. And that’s assuming that you have any interest in them when they come around to your neck of the woods in the first place.
Local vote
The trouble with local council elections is that unless there’s one happening in your patch, they are of zero interest. And that’s assuming that you have any interest in them when they come around to your neck of the woods in the first place.
So, it was intriguing to witness how high up the news agenda were the elections for the Mayor of London, especially given they affected less than one in seven of the UK population.
Red Ken versus Boris the Buffoon. I guess, when you spell it out like that, there was bound to be some interest!
What does it all mean for us involved in the fleet industry?
Well Porsche must be rubbing its hands with glee as Boris has said he will scrap the planned October changes to the congestion charge.
Cars producing more than 225g/km of CO2 will not be walloped with a stinging £25 charge.
Neither will cars falling in the A or B VED bands be exempt. I personally fail to see that as a positive step forward. Then again, I’m not a Londoner or live there, so who am I to comment?
It’s for the good citizens of our Capital to decide, and they turned out in record numbers to vote Ken out of office after eight years in charge.
I personally don’t think that we have heard the last on the subject of congestion charging and while zero-emitting vehicles will remain exempt, expect some review in the future.
Another potential change could be a reversal of the proposed extended congestion charge west. Boris will consult with residents in the affected area and abide by their wishes.
What else?
The cycling politician, like Livingston, intends introducing a cycle hire scheme, based on the one so successfully launched in Paris last July and he intends doing away with his hated bendy buses. These he intends to replace with modern versions of the traditional red Routemaster buses, complete with conductors. He also wants to fast track (pardon the pun!) the modernisation of the Victorian London Underground system.
Interesting times for our Capital. Let’s hope that Boris Johnson can be the flag bearer for some much need transport reforms, which result in a clean, free flowing integrated transport system.
Now wouldn’t that be good if it could be extended nationwide.
