Canterbury: Congestion scheme would ban cross-city journeys

The plans are aimed at cutting congestion in Canterbury

Drivers could be banned from travelling directly through a city centre in a bid to cut pollution.

The Canterbury Circulation plan would split the city into five zones, with drivers only allowed to enter each one from a ring road, and banned from driving directly from one to another.

Automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras would be used to issue fines.

Road campaigners have called it "clueless" and "virtue signalling".

Canterbury City Council leader Ben Fitter-Harding said it could take until 2040 to install all the infrastructure needed, by which time he hoped "there'd be no reason to jump in your car for the majority of journeys" with improved bus services, footpaths and hire bikes.

"The easiest thing to do would be walk, cycle or jump on a hopper bus," he added.

"We've outright rejected the idea of a congestion charge, that would be another way of doing things but that would be economically damaging to the city of Canterbury."

Drivers who did need to cross the city, such as taxis, delivery vehicles and blue badge holders, could be issued with digital permits.

'Freedom of choice'

But Howard Cox from the campaign group FairFuelUK labelled the plans "clueless" and said it was "a virtue-signalling approach to controlling congestion".

"It's a freedom-of-choice issue. Why should people be forced into situations if they do not want to cycle?" he said.

"Again, a local authority is using this idea of reducing congestion as a guise for taking money from our pockets.

"In Canterbury there already is a ring road, and if there is a blockage you go out to the ring road and you avoid the blockage."

The scheme will be presented to the city council cabinet on 19 October and, if accepted, a 12-week consultation process will begin.

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