What is a congestion charge all about? Just briefly explain. Is it a charge for sitting in traffic and polluting? Do you have to buy one daily? Just curious as to what thats all about.

Its tax the city is charging for driving inside it and congesting it. Its a ploy to get cars out of there, less co2 emmissions, less noise, traffic etc..

It's basically just a ploy to rob people of more money. At least we don't have such things here yet,but instead we have 180% tax on cars :-(

Its Ken Livingstone's fault!

I was down in London at the weekend.

We were going to twickenham stadium and ended up staying outwith the centre of London and the congestion charge.

However, looking at the hotels in central London, most don't have parking.

They give links to the nearest car park. Most were £30 per day!

So to stay in central London not only do you have to pay a congestion charge, you get ripped off to park your car.

Another one that shocked us was the cost of a Taxi.
Our hotel was 4.5miles from the stadium and the taxi cost £28 and took less than 10 minutes!

# Traffic entering the original charging zone reduced by 21 per cent
# An increase in cycling within the zone of 43 per cent
# Reductions in accidents and key traffic pollutants
# Public transport successfully accommodating displaced car users

# In comparison with 2002 conditions, congestion in 2006 was 8 per cent lower, but this is misleading about the scheme's performance. When compared to conditions without charging, Congestion Charging is continuing to deliver congestion relief that is broadly in line with the 30 per cent reduction achieved in the first year of the scheme:)

There is a network of camera sites monitoring every entrance and exit to the Congestion Charging zone along the boundary road, and monitoring journeys made within the charging zone.

Each camera site consists of at least one colour camera plus a monochrome camera for each lane of traffic being monitored.

The cameras provide high-quality digital images of the whole vehicle to Automatic Number Plate Recognition software, which reads and records each number plate. Tests show that the cameras read more than 90% of all number plates accurately.

When I was in London first time 2 years ago I didn't know how or where to pay CCH, so I didn't pay and didn't get any penalty yet(lucky 10%)

I think charge is now 8GBP per day.

"# Traffic entering the original charging zone reduced by 21 per cent
# An increase in cycling within the zone of 43 per cent
# Reductions in accidents and key traffic pollu..."

You don't seriously believe all that crap they tell you do you? LOL

I can feel another hot thread starting! hehe

Would it involve the drinking of "cool aid" Dan? LOL

Not me!

Only Nesquik here.