Issues: Would businesses suffer?
We hope to put more detailed information online shortly on this topic, as time allows.
Avoiding the costs of current congestion
Businesses already suffer from the costs of congestion.
The County Council’s documentation claims a reduction in travel time of 30% on current levels. [See page on this.] This is time which would be used more productively:
- Business-people not sitting in traffic jams and instead doing productive work
- Deliveries being able to move around the city more quickly, leading to an increase in delivery capacity
- People arriving for work feeling less stressed as a result of less traffic and increased travel choice.
- Journey time predictability would be improved
(NB: Travel time reductions are likely to be greater than levels of absolute traffic reduction, because delays increase non-linearly near the saturation point – which key junctions already are at. More info on this.)
What about small businesses?
Small businesses, who have to travel in Cambridge, but whose time is nonethless valuable, would find the cost of a Charge likely to be more-than-offset by the saving in time, i.e. that the time spent previously in traffic jams could instead be used on chargeable work.
‘White van’ delivery drivers in London are amongst those who have experienced such benefits.
The London case
In the case of the London Congestion Charge, which is the nearest case study we have, it was welcomed locally by the business lobby – London First.
Their report ‘Getting London to Work‘ shows how that scheme has resulted in the following, in their words (headings on pages 10-12):
- Congestion levels have reduced
- Average speeds have increased
- Journey time reliability has improved
- Considerable revenue invested in transport
- Bus services have improved
- Air quality in Central London has improved
- Benefits to the economy
- Business perceives benefits of Congestion Charging
Of course, “Cambridge is not London”, but this does give a good indication that, under the right conditions, congestion charging can relieve some of the costs that businesses currently incur as a result in congestion.