In Cambridge, a congestion charge is being considered that would require drivers to fork over at least £5 to enter and exit the city during weekday rush hour. Following a BBC Politics East debate last week, the topic continues to spark debate, and people have been contacting us to share their opinions.
There is "no proposed provision for those who already live in Cambridge," according to Cambridge-based web developer Richard Bagnall.
The congestion zone residents "will therefore be penalized for any and all car trips they make, even if it is to leave the city," the author claims.
People who reside in cities are being punished, he claims.
The 61-year-old claims, "I already use my car as little as possible, but I do use it for grocery shopping and to leave the city, which would mean I would pay at least £1,040 a year in addition to the £600 road fund duty. ".
In Chesterton, Cambridge, he claims that "the council keep closing roads," like the modal filter on Chapel Street.
According to Mr. Bagnall, these closures "make other [roads] more congested [and that's] part of the problem.".
"The sustainable travel zone plan is, on the whole, very good," says Archie McCann, a student of civil, structural, and environmental engineering.
"It ensures that the hundreds of millions of pounds in City Deal funding will be used to improve public transportation, long before the road charge is implemented, and also has dozens of proposed exemptions, such as. for people with disabilities, those with low incomes, etc. ".
The 21-year-old calls the proposal "the fairest way" to enhance public transportation, which he currently considers to be "awful.".
"I've tried taking the bus three times in the last week, but twice the bus just didn't arrive, so I've had to wait for the next one, and god forbid you try using public transportation outside of the city, you won't get anywhere quickly," the man complains. ".
According to Mr. McCann, there is no other way to finance better bus services because neither the local government nor the UK government will contribute.
He continues by saying that the congestion charge will "enable more funding for public transportation, [which] reduces the congestion on the roads so that those buses won't get stuck in traffic.".
A sustainable travel zone covering the majority of the city has been proposed by the Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP), a group made up of three local councils, businesses, and the University of Cambridge.
On weekdays, there will be a daily fee of at least £5 for any vehicles that enter the zone between 7:00 and 19:00.
The funds raised will be used to pay for a £50 million expansion of the bus network with the goal of providing "London-style" service and enhancing walking and cycling infrastructure.
According to the GCP, the proposed changes would result in 20,000 more bus trips and a 50% reduction in car trips in Cambridge.
According to them, the plan will "reduce pollution to provide cleaner air.".
"Public transportation in Cambridge is really bad with many of the lines stopped," claims Dragana Hardman, a former employee of the NHS.
"Many employees in the NHS, the catering and hospitality industries, as well as those with other jobs that are not well paid, live outside of Cambridge and commute there for work.
"The current park and ride system is not good; the service is inadequate and requires improvement.
"I recognize that Cambridge City Council would like to make adjustments and improvements, but this strategy is flawed. ".
According to the 60-year-old, the congestion charge "punishes the people because they either live outside and work in Cambridge, or live inside and work in Cambridge.".
Before residents are "pushed" to use them, she claims, the bus system and cycling infrastructure need to be improved.
This proposal, she continues, "is only there for the money; it has nothing to do with improving Cambridge."
