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Press Release

LONDON’S RETAILERS DISMAYED AT ‘C ZONE CHARADE’

7 September 2005

The London Retail Consortium (LRC) is dismayed at the admission by Ken Livingstone that his public consultation into the proposal for a Western Extension Zone (WEZ) to the Congestion Charge was “a complete charade”.

LRC Chairman, Alastair McKay said: “This comes as little surprise to us. The Mayor and Transport for London (TfL) had made it quite clear from the beginning that the decision to take forward a Western Extension was already made.

“We are very disappointed that the Mayor is wilfully ignoring the voice of those who stand to be negatively affected, particularly large and small retailers. Congestion represents a significant cost to retailers who rely on the road network for access to customers, staff, and the delivery of the goods they sell.

“There is a marked difference between the proposed WEZ and the Central Zone, with WEZ being much more heavily dependent on hotels, restaurants and retail than the Central Zone. Therefore WEZ has a greater exposure to the sectors that TfL identifies as the most likely to be negatively affected by the charge.

“At a time when consumer confidence is weak, compounded by a sustained decrease in visitor numbers following the terrorist atrocities in the Capital, we implore the Mayor to rethink or at the very least delay the introduction of this scheme, until a full dispassionate public inquiry takes place, with an investigation of alternative schemes that could be potentially more targeted and effective.”



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British Retail Consortium

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