Conservative councillors claim that Bexley is being "discriminated against" and the tolls on the new Silvertown Tunnel are a "kick in the teeth" to their borough's residents. Speaking at a full Bexley Council meeting on April 30, one Tory councillor stated that London Mayor Sadiq Khan was giving Bexley a "particularly raw deal" compared to other boroughs south of the river when it came to transport funding.
At the meeting, Conservative Cllr Peter Craske posed a question about the Silvertown Tunnel tolls, and asked the Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods Cllr Richard Diment to comment on "whether it is right" that those travelling northbound in a car through the tunnel in the morning—such as Bexley residents commuting for work—have to pay the peak charge of £4, while those travelling southbound at the exact same time only have to pay £1.50.
Fellow Tory Cllr Diment responded: "I think it's a real kick in the teeth for the residents of Bexley that they are charged a surcharge which does not apply to those that start their journeys north of the river. Simple mental arithmetic says that somebody who lives in this borough and works north of the borough travelling through that tunnel 200 times a year will end up with a bill of something like £2,000.
"For somebody making the journey the opposite direction, it'll be £750. That again is discrimination against the residents of this borough and those that live south of the river and it is what we have come to expect from Mayor Khan and TfL."
In a supplementary question, Cllr Craske stated that the tunnel charges were "not the only way that Bexley residents are discriminated against by the Labour Mayor" and he asked Cllr Diment to set out how much money Bexley was receiving from Transport for London (TfL) via local implementation plan (LIP) funding, a scheme that offers money to London councils to improve transport networks in line with the Mayor's transport strategy.
Cllr Diment replied: "In 2016/17, the last year when the LIP funding was set by the previous Mayor Boris Johnson, Bexley received £4 million, or about 3.3 per cent of the total funding that was available. In no year since then has it got anywhere near to 3.3 per cent, and in the latest year which has just been announced, of the £87 million that has been allocated by the Mayor, Bexley is getting just 1.9 per cent."
Cllr Diment then went on to list the amounts of money other councils had received from the LIP fund under Sadiq Khan, claiming that Greenwich and Lewisham had both received £18m, Lambeth had received £19m and Southwark £23m. In comparison, he said Bexley had received only £12.7m. Cllr Diment said: "I think that is clear evidence that Bexley is being discriminated against and our residents get a particularly raw deal from the administration in city hall."
In response, Labour Cllr Anna Day wanted to remind Tory councillors that the tunnel charges were in fact a "Boris tax" rather than a Labour one. She said: "The Silvertown plans were first developed in 2012, and plans to toll both crossings were confirmed by their government six-and-a-half years ago.
"As you are aware, in addition to recovering construction costs the tolls have been levied to reduce congestion and to spread traffic levels evenly, hence the different charges depending on the direction of travel."
Cllr Day then asked Cllr Diment: "Being that there is more traffic heading to opportunities of employment north of the river, what are we doing to bring people across to us? Is the cabinet member not confident that Bexley is open for business strategy, and ambitions to create a green cluster of tech and business here will in any case negate the need for many of our residents to travel elsewhere for work?"
Cllr Diment replied: "I'm really grateful to Cllr Day for telling us the briefing that they've been given by Sadiq Khan for how to respond to this debate. Of course Bexley would welcome people coming into Bexley in open arms, but our first responsibility is to look after the welfare and wellbeing of our residents and it is clear that the decisions being made with the unfair system of tolling that has been introduced is, as I have said in my original answer, a kick in the teeth for the residents of Bexley from the administration in City Hall."
In response to Cllr Diment's claims, a spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: "The opening of the new Silvertown Tunnel last month is helping to transform travel in the South and East of our city. It means faster, more reliable journey times for thousands of Londoners during peak hours, reduced congestion and improved air quality, and enhanced public transport links through zero emission cross-river buses and an innovative cycle shuttle service.
"The original plans for the Silvertown Tunnel were developed in 2012 by the previous Mayor. We made a series of improvements to make the scheme greener and to include a package of measures to support Londoners and businesses. This includes ensuring there are discounts and concessions in place for local residents."
Got a story? email cameron.blackshaw@reachplc.com
Don't miss out on the biggest local stories. Sign up to our MySouthLondon newsletter HERE for all the latest daily news and more.
(Feed generated with FetchRSS)
Post a Comment