Road charge to ease pollution

Canterbury City Council leader Cllr Simon Cook is quoted (August 3) as saying that a congestion charge in Canterbury would only work if there were alternative routes to the ring road. But he is missing the point because he is assuming that the number of cars on the road would remain the same after the charge were levied.

The congestion charge works in London as part of a ‘stick and carrot’ process – rather than merely diverting cars out of the central area onto other routes, it helps to discourage motorists from using their vehicles at all during the week.

At the same time, some of the revenue has been used to help to keep bus, tube and train fares at reasonable levels and thus to make public transport a more attractive option. The result: a ‘virtuous circle’ of less traffic congestion, less air pollution and more frequent, reliable and affordable bus services.

Contrast that with the Canterbury district, where we seem to be going in the opposite direction. We learned from your page 2 article of steep bus fare increases which could well have the effect of pushing more local commuters back into their cars, thereby further increasing congestion and air pollution in the city and town centres.

There is no evidence that Cllr Cook or the council he leads have the faintest notion – let alone plan – as to how to break out of this vicious circle.

Peter Halfpenny Canterbury Road, Whitstable