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Transport for London (TfL) announced new proposals at the Thames Gateway Bridge Inquiry which would create inequity between the residents of Bexley and those of other Boroughs. To deal with higher than predicted traffic flows in Bexley with the Thames Gateway Bridge (TGB), TfL propose to reduce the residents’ discount area as well as increase peak time tolls by 50%.
Some residents from the deprived areas of North Bexley, who now fall outside the toll discount area, would see a three-fold increase in toll charges from £1 to £3. In stark contrast, the whole of Newham is proposed to remain a discount area paying, a toll of £1. This totally ludicrous scenario undermines the support given to this scheme by the Bexley Care Trust, whose main argument has been to improve health by creating jobs for the deprived communities of North Bexley.
New evidence, based on the increased tolls, from TfL’s Regeneration expert, shows that the total increase in potential employment in Bexley, with the Thames Gateway Bridge, has fallen to between zero and 500 jobs. Professor Spence, independently commissioned by the NHS, states that “he would not be surprised if the actual impacts proved to be somewhat lower than the highest projection and, as a consequence, he has a preference for those results at the lower end of the scale”.
Could we even see job losses to people in Bexley?
During the Consultation period, TfL told local people that the TGB was a ‘Local Bridge for Local People’ and yet now only a small percentage of Bexley residents would be eligible to use the TGB at the discounted rate. It should not be forgotten that without a Public Inquiry these facts would not have come to light, and it is very likely that Bexley Council’s Planning Committee would have voted differently, in November 2004, with these facts before them.
Even with toll increases, Bexley would still experience a marked increase in traffic and mitigation measures with negligible benefits. Longer distance traffic, especially commercial vehicles, would be proportionally less affected by a toll increase when compared to an individual from a deprived area seeking employment.
Where is the reasoning in building a crossing that people are then discouraged from using? Will higher tolls restrict traffic volumes in the long-term if at all? The M6 is a good example of this not happening. It is likely that pressure will mean that the TGB’s maximum capacity is utilised in the future. A quote from a Dartford Crossing website says, “Despite the three crossings, there are still delays because the increase in capacity has caused an increase in traffic wanting to use the crossing.”
Jacqui & Steve Wise
Action Group Against the Bridge (AGAB) Contact 020 8301 4243
Bexley Council has described Transport for London’s latest proposal, to reduce the availability of discounted tolls on the Thames Gateway Bridge to its residents, as “totally unacceptable”.
TfL has confirmed that its previous forecasts of traffic levels after the opening of the bridge were unreliable. Its revised forecasts predict much higher levels of traffic in Bexley.
TfL has suggested some changes to its proposals for dealing with the impact of this increased traffic -
- Increasing the toll for non-local traffic from £2 to £3.
- Making improvements to a number of junctions.
- Reducing the area within which Bexley residents will benefit from a discount on the bridge tolls.
Cllr Daniel Francis, Bexley Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Planning and Parking, says the Council will oppose any plan to limit the availability of toll discounts to Bexley residents.
“Reducing the discount area will not reduce the flow of traffic caused by residents north of the river who use the bridge and then drive through Bexley to reach the A2 or M25. Bexley would still suffer from high traffic levels, but very few of its residents would benefit from discounted tolls.
He adds: “The proposal would not alter the availability of discounted tolls in other boroughs served by the bridge. Residents in the boroughs of Barking & Dagenham and Redbridge, living many miles from the bridge, would receive a discount, while residents in parts of Belvedere and Erith, as well as all residents in Northumberland Heath, Bexleyheath and Welling will not benefit, even though these areas will carry significant amounts of traffic from the bridge.”
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