'No plans to expand congestion scheme'

London transport bosses have denied claims that plans are being dawn up for a "dramatic" expansion of congestion charging in the Capital.

Following reports the scheme would be extended beyond its current boundaries, Transport for London said no such move was being considered.

The move came after transport commissioner Bob Kiley told the Times that in future drivers could face tolls on all congested roads in Greater London.

"London could be the test-bed for the rest of the country," he said.

"I want a surgical approach, aiming at the pinch points. The tag and beacon system would give drivers real choices: they could switch to an improved bus service or drive another route.

"If we were really aggressive about it we could have demonstration projects in four to seven years. If it was incredibly successful you could extend it within six months."

However, Kiley later told members of the London Transport Users' Committee that he had been talking about a "hypothetical example" about what could happen as technology develops.

Transport for London does not have the powers to extend congestion charging to other boroughs, he said.

"There is now way I was suggesting there is a plan afoot to have a huge road pricing scheme in four years' time," Kiley added.

Livingstone

At his press conference on Tuesday, Ken Livingstone said the transport chief had been "talking about his own views" on the issue.

The London mayor said that any such scheme not be possible for many years because it would require primary legislation and every car in Britain to be fitted with a beacon.

And he insisted that the scheme would not be viable for at least beyond the current mayoral term.

The London Conservatives seized on the apparent disagreement between Livingstone and Kiley.

Tory assembly member Angie Bray said: "Not even Ken Livingstone agrees with his own transport guru that this is viable at anytime in the foreseeable future.

"This is more about Bob Kiley justifying his colossal salary than about improving congestion. He was unable to make a difference on the Tube so now he is looking elsewhere.

"This is an own-goal for Transport for London. At the very moment they are proposing an extension to the existing congestion charging scheme - at a cost of £125 million - the top boss says another more sophisticated scheme is being tested that would supersede it. So why go ahead with the extension – and waste all of that money?"