Cambridge congestion charge: Your views

Drivers would be charged at least £5 if they drive into or around Cambridge between 07:00 and 19:00 on weekdays

A proposed congestion charge for Cambridge would see motorists pay at least £5 to drive in and around the city between 07:00 and 19:00 on weekdays. The subject continues to divide opinion and, following a BBC Politics East debate last week, people have been continuing to get in touch to express their views.

'Punishing people in the city'

Richard Bagnall says he will be penalised for living in central Cambridge

Web developer Richard Bagnall lives in Cambridge and says there is "no proposed provision for those who already live in Cambridge".

He says those who live in the congestion zone "will therefore be penalised for any and every trip they make by car, even if it is to leave the city".

"It is punishing people who live in the city," he says.

The 61-year-old says: "I already use my car as little as possible but do use it for grocery shopping and to leave the city which would mean I would pay at least £1,040 a year on top of the £600 road fund duty."

He says "the council keep closing roads" such as the modal filter on Chapel Street in Chesterton, Cambridge.

Mr Bagnall says those closures are "making other [roads] more congested [and] that's part of the problem".

'More funding for public transport'

Archie McCann is in favour of the congestion zone and hopes it improves the bus service

Civil, structural and environmental engineering student Archie McCann says the "sustainable travel zone plan is, on the whole, very good".

"It makes sure [of using] the hundreds of millions of pounds of City Deal money to boost public transport, long before the road charge comes in, and also has dozens of proposed exemptions, eg. for disabled people, for those on low incomes, etc."

The 21-year-old says the plan is "the fairest way" of improving public transport, which he currently describes as "awful".

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He says: "I've tried to take the bus three times in the last week, and twice the bus simply didn't arrive, so I've had to wait for the next one, and god forbid you try to use public transport outside of the city, you won't get anywhere quickly."

Mr McCann says that to improve bus services he doesn't see "any other way for it to be funded - local government doesn't have the funds, and the UK government won't help".

He adds that the congestion charge will "allow for more funding for public transport, [which] reduces the congestion on the roads so that those buses won't get stuck in traffic".

What is being proposed?

The Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) - a body which includes three local councils, businesses and the University of Cambridge - has proposed what it calls a sustainable travel zone, covering most of the city.

Vehicles that drive in the zone between 07:00 and 19:00 on weekdays will have to pay a daily charge of at least £5.

The money raised will be used to pay for a £50m bus network expansion, aiming to create a "London-style" service, as well as improving infrastructure for walking and cycling.

The GCP say the plans would lead to an extra 20,000 journeys made by bus and the number of car trips in Cambridge cut by 50%.

They say the scheme will "reduce pollution to provide cleaner air".

'The wrong approach'

Former NHS worker Dragana Hardman fear those on low incomes will be affected the most

Dragana Hardman, a former NHS worker, says: "Public transport in Cambridge is really bad with lots of the lines stopped.

"Lots of the NHS, catering and hospitality industry staff, and [those with] other jobs who are not paid that well, live outside Cambridge and travel to work.

"The present system of park and ride is not good; the service is bad and needs improvement.

"I understand that Cambridge City Council would like to make changes and improvements, however this is the wrong approach."

The 60-year-old says the congestion charge will "punish the people because they either live in Cambridge and work outside, or live outside and work in Cambridge".

She says the cycling infrastructure and bus services need be improved before residents are "pushed" to use them.

"This proposal is only there for the money, [it is] nothing to do with the improvement of Cambridge," she adds.

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