Congestion Charging Meeting Stimulates Debate

Report on a Cambridge Chamber event on 17th September 07 at the University Arms Hotel, Cambridge UK

As our meeting Chairman Walter Herriot succinctly put it “Cambridge is a mediaeval city which has gone straight to the 21^st Century, bypassing the industrial revolution” - bequeathing us with a beautiful jewel in the centre and a traffic nightmare. Armed with his red card and whistle he ruled the debate even-handedly throughout the evening.

Speaking for the introduction of a Congestion Charge during the peak morning rush hours, Brian Smith, Deputy CEO of Cambridgeshire County Council painted the familiar picture of increasing traffic and congestion. If no changes were implemented we could expect more pain in an 84% increase in junction delays and 46% increase in traffic times. Cambridge needed to find real solutions that shifted people away from peak hour travel in cars. The government’s Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) would bring in £500m of much needed infrastructure investment over and above the existing changes planned for the A14 and A428. However, the congestion charge was a prerequisite as central government was using TIF as a test bed for its future traffic policy where congestion charging was an integral part.

Speaking against were Richard Normington, Deputy Chairman of Cambridge City Conservatives, Ian Nimmo-Smith, Leader of Cambridge City Council and John Bridge, CEO of the Cambridgeshire Chambers. The counter arguments ranged from the charge being a stealth tax on the poor, the slippery slope of expanding the scheme, counterproductive effects on business, unfair treatment of residents and the inadequacy of presenting viable alternatives. Speeches were delivered in turn politically, longwindedly or with a suppressed fury! The session was then open to the floor as the speakers formed a panel, joined by Nick Clarke of the Federation of Small Businesses and Shona Johnstone, Leader of Cambridgeshire County Council. Whilst participants ranged from the rational to cynical to those with their own agendas, the overall theme from all corners appeared to be hostile to the proposed congestion charging for often divergent reasons.

In the fortunate position of being able to avoid coming into Cambridge during the morning rush hour, happy to have appointments mid-morning or afternoon and arriving at the event like a sizeable fraction of the audience by public transport or bike, my leaning towards the proposed charging before the meeting were actually neutral or even for it. However, to my surprise, I found my opinion changing during the evening.

Trying to analyse the shift, I found that this was not so much a rational as a visceral response. The nub of the matter was the apparently underlying message from the County Council, that “TIF money for infrastructure improvements is conditional on congestion charging”. It was a TINA (as Richard Normington put it), a “There Is No Alternative” option, an ultimatum. That tends to engender resistance rather willingness to engage.

Brian Smith is right when he says “doing nothing is not an option”.

Cambridgeshire County Council promised that consultation would take place over the coming months. I personally hope that the current position is an initial one - to provoke discussion and flush out objections; to allow room for negotiation, cooperation and discussion; to find a solution in a more positive partnership with all affected parties.

Chris can be contacted on 01223 440024.

Dale Carnegie is currently offering free in-house bite-sized seminars to companies in Cambridgeshire - contact Chris for more details