Forum Topic

Putney High Street traffic cameras cash cow

Today's news item seems to explain the council's extremely slow pace of action in dealing with the traffic volume in Putney High Street, and actually implementing changes that would make it  a more pleasant, safer, less polluted environment for pedestrians.  I would love to know what they are spending this income on, but lots of scope for local, transport-related services starting with PHS itself.  

Ruth Pates ● 2860d2 Comments

>  I would love to know what they are spending this income onFrom the story:-"By law all the revenue raised must be spent on transport related services such as repairing potholes, funding free bus passes and taxicards for pensioners and disabled people and also on the costs of transporting vulnerable and disabled children with special educational needs to and from school.”The "cash cow" only exists because people ignore the law. Without those people the same services would have to be funded by an increase in council tax, parking rates, etc or be cut.

Alex Greenbank ● 2860d

Yes - saw that, but wondered specifically what they actually did use it for in Wandsworth, rather than a vague category of transport services.  It is a rather strange incentive to have to rely on large volumes of traffic and law/rule breaking - which are so damaging to health for people in general (including vulnerable groups), and so costly to business in London & Putney.  Rather like funding the NHS out of tax from tobacco, and arguing that smoking needs to stay at high levels otherwise those services would have to be funded out of other sources of taxation instead.

Ruth Pates ● 2860d