Feb-March 2003

The launch of the London congestion charging scheme on 17 February was greeted by its supporters as a resounding success, although average traffic speeds did not entirely confirm the impression.

The whole city experienced eerily quiet traffic conditions in the early part of the first week as motorists stayed away to avoid a predicted congestion nightmare in the periphery of the area. In addition, sceptics pointed out that as the launch coincided with half-term at schools, no firm conclusions could be drawn from early experience.

According to measurements by fleet management specialist Isotrak, average traffic speed within the charging area rose from around 3.5mph immediately before the ban to 4.5mph on the first day. But that is still slower than the 5.9mph during the same period the previous year. In the area outside the zone, speeds fell slightly from 12.8 to 12.4mph. They had been as high as 13.8mph for most of the preceding week.

Vehicle tracking specialist Minorplanet says that according to a survey of its customers, many of those delivering in London were typically sending 10 to 15 vehicles into the zone every day before the charge came into force.

 

In a bid to attract new business from users wanting to monitor vehicle movements in and out of the zone, the company has now packaged its "watchbox" capability (basically a geofencing system) in a special version of its tracking system called VMI Anywhere.

This has a range of built-in functions such as the ability to alert the traffic office when a vehicle enters a predefined zone, to send SMS messages telling consignees that the vehicle is in the vicinity, and to allow only specified vehicles to be authorised to deliver in the area.

Minorplanet has identified nearly forty UK local authorities that are watching the impact of the ban, and might imitate it if it is judged successful (details on its Web site).

It was unclear whether the people who forsook their cars during the early days of the London ban were making alternative journeys (and if so how), and what effect "school runs" would have when they resumed. Typically these account for 15 per cent of London traffic. The general consensus is that it will take some weeks for the real ongoing effects of the ban to become apparent.