User:Regan123/Congestion Charging in the United Kingdom

Background
In the early 1960s, the Smeed Report considered how to implement congestion charging. From the 1990s the government has considered some form of road pricing for roads in the UK.

Current Schemes
The UK's first congestion charge was introduced in Durham in 2002. Since 2003 most vehicles entering parts of Central have been required to pay a daily charge under the London congestion charge. The power to introduce a form of congestion charge was given to any future mayor in the Greater London Authority Act 1999. Having won the first mayoral election in 2000, Ken Livingstone opted to exercise these powers as promised in his independent manifesto, and carried out a series of consultations with interested parties. The basic scheme was agreed in February 2002, and charging commenced, with some concessions accepted, on 17 February 2003. On introduction, the scheme was the largest ever undertaken by a capital city. A extension of the zone into West London came into effect on 19 February 2007 despite the majority of residents opposing it in the two consultations. Several London embassies were not paying the charge as they believed it to be a tax, which they are protected from paying under the Vienna Convention. Although some embassies have agreed to pay the charge, the US embassy currently owes £1,600,000 (approximately $3,000,000) in fines for non-payment, they do however, pay tolls in Oslo and Singapore. Transport for London argues that the charge is a toll, not a tax. The latest report from the operators, Transport for London, states that traffic entering the original zone was lower in 2006 than the pre charge levels in 2002, with reduced air pollutants and increased public transport usage.

Abandoned proposals
The Transport (Scotland) Act 2001 made Scottish road pricing schemes possible, and laid down the condition that all proceeds from such schemes must be spent on transport. Proposals in Edinburgh for a system of a £2 charge for crossing either outer cordon or inner cordon (or both) were rejected following a public referendum in 2005 by 74% of the votes cast.

Future
There is currently a proposal for a Manchester congestion charge. Unlike the current version of the London charge, two cordons will be used, one covering the main area of Manchester and another covering the city centre.