ON OCTOBER 20, the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, announced his public transport fare proposals for 2011, on the same day the government announced its spending proposals for the next three years. It was a very busy day.
Yet tucked away on this day was a separate proposal by the mayor to end free short-term parking on London's red routes.
I expect the mayor hoped this change would go under the radar. Yet these proposals cannot be ignored. Charging people to park on the road for literally just a few minutes makes no sense at all. Most shops along red routes are totally reliant on passing trade. The parking charges will raise little revenue for the mayor, but they will hit many small traders, who are already facing hard times, for six.
The last thing London needs is more empty shops along so many of its roads. Instead of killing off small shops we need to kill off this daft proposal from the mayor.
CAROLINE PIDGEON Liberal Democrat leader
London Assembly
