Sir Rod Eddington’s transport report is published today, follow link.
It is a joint veture between the Treasury and the DoT. Beware the Treasury’s involvement. Eddington gives the thumbs up to road pricing although not as wholeheartedly as you might expect. He does give a wholehearted endorsement of economically sensible investments in transport so hurray for that. But back to road pricing.
Contrary to the Mayor’s spin the London Congestion Charge has a £60 million deficit after three full years of operation. Follow link for details.
Transport for London, the shower responsible for the Congestion Charge, are also taking the lead in London-wide congestion charging. They reckon to be able to collect £3 billion in charges. This would be OK too if some other tax was reduced by £3 billion but read a quote from Michele Dix, director of congestion charging at TfL: “It would generate £3 billion gross and net revenue of between £1 billion and £2 billion.” It is a shame that she can’t refine her cost estimates more accurately than to the nearest £1 billion. Why does she think that it is acceptable to tax people to this extent and then lose anywhere from a third to two thirds of the money in collection costs?
It is all very well moving to road pricing if it is an effective and cheap to collect tax like fuel duty that allows us to lower direct taxation. But if its costs go barmy it just adds up to terrific waste.
If TfL is capable of wasting every penny of CC income then the same thing is likely to happen with a London-wide or national road pricing scheme.
Last night we decamped to St Bernard’s Hospital, next to Ealing Hospital, which is the headquarters of West London Mental Health Trust (WLMHT). WLMHT meets the mental health needs of people across Hammersmith and Fulham, Ealing and Hounslow. 
Fiona Wise, the Chief Executive of Ealing Hospital NHS Trust, announced at last night’s Ealing Local Strategic Partnership executive board meeting that she was moving on. Apparently she is going to North West London Hospitals NHS Trust. 
The Evening Standard is today reporting on the cost of the Mayor’s silly spat with Trevor Phillips. Apparently TfL had signed up as a sponsor of the Commission for Racial Equality’s conference, starting in London today, to mark 30 years since the Race Relations Act. They have spent £27,000 on this and as a result of the Mayor pulling out of the conference and using it as an opportunity to slag off Phillips TfL have had to withdraw too. The Livingstone pulls out story was covered on the Today programme this morning (see 
From today we can put out cardboard with our recycling. It is another example of how the new Conservative administration at the council is delivering on environmental pledges. 
A vaguely local figure appeared in the Evening Standard yesterday. They reported speculation that Rupa Huq might end up as the Labour candidate for Bethnal Green and Bow, George Galloway’s seat. Local you ask? Kind of. 
Phil Taylor 