Bristol Green Party - Letters - We Should Not Abolish Clifton

Bristol Green Party

We Should Not Abolish Clifton - Charlie Bolton, 27 November 2006

To: Evening Post

Dear Sir/Madam

SM Wright bemoans the introduction of a congestion charge because it will price the less well-off out of their cars (Evening Post letters 23/11/2006).

There are all sorts of things in this world which you can do because you are wealthy, and cannot do because you are poor. You can live in Clifton. You can take exotic holidays, buy gas guzzling cars, wear expensive clothes, buy expensive organic food, eat out at posh restaurants - anything which takes money.

As such, this is not a reason to oppose a congestion charge. If it were, we should abolish Clifton at the same time. It is a reason to make the less well-off richer.

And of course, those who cannot afford to run a car, and those who for other reasons can't/don't use a car, would benefit from a congestion charge, since the money raised would be reinvested into making public transport more affordable!

Yours,

Charlie Bolton

Green Party councillor for Southville

***ORIGINAL LETTER***

Why should cars only be for the rich?

MIKE Frost advocates Bristol adopting London's congestion charge in order to have less pollution and a better quality of life ("Bristol's best but London sets a good example", Evening Post, November 16).

He may well be right, but widespread congestion charges and road tolls will undoubtedly result in pricing the less well-off out of their cars, thus putting the clock back 50 years and making motoring once more the privilege of the wealthy.

S M Wright, Bedminster Down, Bristol.