Using proven, rather than cutting-edge, technology was
key to the success of the London
congestion charge scheme, the chief architect of the project
will tell a BCS discussion of road user charging this
month.
Derek Turner, who was formerly managing director of street
management at Transport for London, will be addressing the BCS
Oxfordshire Branch and the Oxford Internet Institute on 24
May.
The congestion charge scheme was introduced in 2003 after 75
years of policy work on road use pricing. Once it was implemented,
it took less than two weeks for the programme to settle down - the
fear factor evaporated due to the rapid stabilisation, said
Turner.
"The team showed that enthusiasm and a can-do attitude, combined
with the use of proven and effective, rather than leading-edge,
technology, can deliver a supposedly impossible project on time.
They created a successful public/private partnership, harnessing
the strengths of both," he said.
"The provision of many different ways for people to register and
pay was important: the most used being SMS via mobile phones, while
payment over the counter is also popular and encourages people to
use small shops."
Turner said that it was also important to present a road user
pricing project to the public and politicians as part of an overall
transport strategy. "The public information campaign proved very
valuable," he said.
In June 2003, Turner was awarded the CBE for his services to
transport in London.
Transport for London
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