It costs London motorists over £200M a year for the Congestion Zone with the stated aim to reduce congestion and pollution. The result is not a single saving in any part of the pollution range and not a solitary reduction in congestion in the 5yrs operating (average speeds across London are around 10mph).

£200M a year for a complete and utter failure on both counts.

And our wise Labour Govts' decision is to bribe Councils up and down the country with more public money to install more expensive miserable failures in their region. The thinking is "it's a failure.. let's roll it out nationwide".

If you've ever wondered why politicians are inept, incompetent and can't be trusted (very possibly corrupt) the Con-Zone is a perfect example.

If you've ever wondered why your taxes are going up and you're not seeing a penny back in any public service improvement the Con-Zone is evidence example No.1.

And when you do some further maths (motorists pay £40bn a year in tax, subsidising buses £2bn and trains £6bn) and add up how many people they transport you see why public transport in the USSR went bankrupt and their crap Ladas had 12 year waiting lists - namely the car is the most eficient, cost effective, productive and convenient form of transport man has invented. Public transport needs subisidising because it's crap.

Labour came 5th, lost their deposit and joined the ranks of extremist minority looney parties at the last by-election. I think the public have put them in their rightful place. Labour RIP.

   Events of the last few weeks with the price of crude oil rising and driving up petrol and diesal prices, increasing transport costs and raisg the cost of food, electricity and gas will have a dramatic impact on the economy. Already reeling from billions in negative equity and a credit crunch set to get worse they now will have to contend with a 40% increase in domestic fuel prices.

Whilst a world class transport system is desirable, road congestion is not going to be a problem over the next few years...But charging mat impact on some of the porrest areas of manchester disueding buisness from setting up. Graham Stringer ghas described this as being a "political" & "economic" disaster...and so it is.