The Gullwing has taken...
The Gullwing has taken flight! This is the Mercedes supercar thatò€™s set to perch right at the top of the tree when it hits showrooms in 2010.
Prior to the introduction...
Prior to the introduction of charging in August 2002 the RAC Foundation measured traffic speeds of just 2.9mph on several key routes. However, this was at a time when central London was inundated with roadworks and changes had been made to the phasing of several key traffic lights. Now the speeds are up to 7.4 mph as the number of cars entering the zone has dropped by 50,000 a day (38 per cent).
Even on the ring road, helped by re-phasing of lights, speeds have improved to a respectable 12.36 mph from 11 mph last May. However the dramatic reduction in traffic means that revenue expectations have not been met and forecast revenue is í‚á£68.4 million rather than í‚á£180 million.
The total appeals for the year are expected to hit 35,000 although only 7,000 were forecast. Of the appeals heard three-quarters have been won by drivers.
Another downside of the scheme appears to be the effect on retail, restaurants and theatres. It seems occasional visitors to the West End are put off by the hassle factor of registering more than the í‚á£5 fee. Many motorists living outside London are unaware of how the scheme works so rather than venture in, they are taking their business to out-of-town shopping centres and provincial towns and cities.