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London's Traffic Congestion
Aired February 17, 2003 - 13:51 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, technology and transport in London. Cameras on city streets check the see if motorists are paying a congestion charge. The fee, which began today, is to help cut massive traffic in London, but it's driving some people nuts.
CNN's Diana Muriel with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DIANA MURIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Six o'clock in the morning and London's traffic is already building. In a desperate bid by commuters to beat the city's new congestion charge.
From Monday, motorists driving into a ten-mile central zone in the capitol have to pay a five-pound (or $7.50) charge for the privilege.
By 7:00, the time congestion charging kicks in, it's clear most drivers are choosing to avoid the zone. Cameras like these film car armor plates as they enter and leave the restricted area. It's $120 fine for those motorists who don't pay the charge.
But congestion charging is something that many Londoners are angry about.
ERIC OLLERENSHAW: Well I think some sight (ph) can certainly agree what we need are more of these bums (ph) particularly for people working round here banging on their horns in agreement because a lot of businesses going to suffer, particularly small business people who just simply can't afford to pay this.
MURIEL: Certainly workers here at Smithfield (ph), London's main meat market, are going to be affected.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well we thought (ph) about 1:00 in the morning so there's no congestion as they come into work and they tend to finish about half ten (ph), 11:00 in the morning so when they leave work, they're not causing any congestion, but yet they still have to pay the five pounds.
MURIEL: They are taking their protest to city Hall to demand an exemption from the charge. In the meantime, the local government is trying to make life easier for users of public transport, spending over $100 million on providing an extra 200 buses for London's City Center, but those crowded onto trains and the London underground service weren't impressed. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Judging by the swell (ph) it's hideous.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was very crowded in the train, is crowded anyway in the morning.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was more or less the same at half term, so.
MURIEL: The half term holiday means that 40,000 schoolchildren are not traveling at peak times this week in the city, and many parents choose this time to take a break. That has left much of the center of the city well nigh deserted.
There is no question London has a congestion problem. The average speed of a vehicle in the city is just ten miles per hour. The same as a horse drawn carriage a hundred years ago.
Around 20,000 of the 250,000 drivers that come into the city each day are now expected to start using public transport and if congestion charges seem to work, its' a scene that might well be adopted in other major British cities -- Diana Muriel CNN London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired February 17, 2003 - 13:51 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, technology and transport in London. Cameras on city streets check the see if motorists are paying a congestion charge. The fee, which began today, is to help cut massive traffic in London, but it's driving some people nuts.
CNN's Diana Muriel with more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DIANA MURIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Six o'clock in the morning and London's traffic is already building. In a desperate bid by commuters to beat the city's new congestion charge.
From Monday, motorists driving into a ten-mile central zone in the capitol have to pay a five-pound (or $7.50) charge for the privilege.
By 7:00, the time congestion charging kicks in, it's clear most drivers are choosing to avoid the zone. Cameras like these film car armor plates as they enter and leave the restricted area. It's $120 fine for those motorists who don't pay the charge.
But congestion charging is something that many Londoners are angry about.
ERIC OLLERENSHAW: Well I think some sight (ph) can certainly agree what we need are more of these bums (ph) particularly for people working round here banging on their horns in agreement because a lot of businesses going to suffer, particularly small business people who just simply can't afford to pay this.
MURIEL: Certainly workers here at Smithfield (ph), London's main meat market, are going to be affected.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well we thought (ph) about 1:00 in the morning so there's no congestion as they come into work and they tend to finish about half ten (ph), 11:00 in the morning so when they leave work, they're not causing any congestion, but yet they still have to pay the five pounds.
MURIEL: They are taking their protest to city Hall to demand an exemption from the charge. In the meantime, the local government is trying to make life easier for users of public transport, spending over $100 million on providing an extra 200 buses for London's City Center, but those crowded onto trains and the London underground service weren't impressed. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Judging by the swell (ph) it's hideous.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was very crowded in the train, is crowded anyway in the morning.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was more or less the same at half term, so.
MURIEL: The half term holiday means that 40,000 schoolchildren are not traveling at peak times this week in the city, and many parents choose this time to take a break. That has left much of the center of the city well nigh deserted.
There is no question London has a congestion problem. The average speed of a vehicle in the city is just ten miles per hour. The same as a horse drawn carriage a hundred years ago.
Around 20,000 of the 250,000 drivers that come into the city each day are now expected to start using public transport and if congestion charges seem to work, its' a scene that might well be adopted in other major British cities -- Diana Muriel CNN London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
