You have got that wrong Paul. CPZs are created to prevent non permit holders from parking in the zones. They don’t create specifics parking slots outside one’s house - and I’ve explained that to people on many occasions because that’s a common misconception - but instead alleviate pressure on existing parking space by stopping non residents from parking there. The only dedicated residential spaces are for disabled badge holdersEaling, in its underhand and cynical way - encouraged by the mini minds of the LCC - is steadily reducing the amount of space available. A bike store or three (though these could be easily be accommodated off road in most places), the introduction of ‘shared use’ bays (aimed at attracting car driving commuters into the borough - the irony!) and then the secretive deal with Zipcar that sees their hire vehicles parked anywhere (and often very badly). Now the imposition of EV points.The idea, unsubtle and unpublicised in the main, is to frustrate residential car owners into giving up their vehicles, irrespective of circumstance or need. No doubt you see that as a ‘good thing’.You are also wrong about simply ‘paying the costs of running the scheme’. CPZ revenue from across the borough goes into a giant pot and it is from that pot that each scheme is financed. Once up and running a CPZ has very little operational cost to the council. It doesn’t even have to send out automatic reminder notices to residents. Other than signage and line painting at set up there’s no expenditure on physical infrastructure at all, other than occasional (and I mean occasional) maintenance.So to think that each individual CPZ creates its own budget which is then spent on that CPZ is deluded.The council generates a huge surplus from the CPZs, millions of pounds a year. That could be reduced by giving residents a reduction in permit charges but taxing the driver is another arrow in the quiver targeting the scourge of ‘cars’.How ironic that you call the roads ‘public space’, when Ealing Council is busy turning other ‘public space’’ such as parks and the Town Hall into private enterprises to which the public are admitted on sufferance and for a fee. Very enlightened from a ‘socialist’ council.You might be surprised that I agree with you about autonomous transport.I’m not sure anyone can win an argument with you Paul, as you don’t engage in proper argument. Just a repeated stating of the same lines over and over again. You don’t even bother responding to points made to you that you can’t best.Which leads us back to your Holy Writ of ‘too many cars’.Consider for a moment why there might be ‘too many cars’.Is it because there are the same number of people here but we’ve all decided to add an extra vehicle or two to the household?No.Is it because Ealing has a very high percentage of game show winners who’ve all been given shiny new cars as prizes?NoIs it because Ealing has a rapidly expanding population and manynof those people bring cars with them either as a part of their employment requirement or because they have a family or because they simply like having a car for the freedom it allows them to do things?Could be.Or is it that there’s actually ‘too much traffic’? A situation created by the increasing demands of an expanding population, poor local provision of certain goods and services and the incessant meddling with road networks funnelling that traffic into more congested spaces.Yes, that’s a massive factor.Let’s look at some numbers to finally lay your too many cars theory to rest.According to official DfT figures in 2011 there were 112,394 licensed cars in Ealing. By 2021 that figure had rocketed to 115,222. A massive increase of less than 3,000. So that’s about a 2.5 percent increase.Over that same period, according to census figures Ealing’s population size increased by 8.5 percent, from around 338,400 to 367,100 in 2021.So, car ownership hasn’t matched population growth, so why are there still ‘too many cars’? Because the ‘cars’ you are so paranoid about are actually delivery vehicles and taxis and all the other transportation that the ever increasing Ealing population requires.Of course, one big step to reducing traffic would be for those such as yourself vowing never to use motorised transport again. Not even a bus (horrible, polluting, bike crushing things). And to vow never to ask for delivery of goods or services other than by non motorised transport. But you won’t, will you? Because you like to have it both ways.
Simon Hayes ● 575d