£2 toll puts brakes on congestion in Durham

Britain's first experiment with congestion-charging on a narrow, part-cobbled road in Durham was declared a success yesterday.

Britain's first experiment with congestion-charging on a narrow, part-cobbled road in Durham was declared a success yesterday.

The scheme, a precursor to a much larger scheme in London, led to an 80 per cent cut in traffic heading into the city's historic centre.

The £2 toll charge was introduced in October, and car numbers have fallen from about 2,000 to 400 in the peak-time charging period.

Roger Cornwell, who chairs the City of Durham Trust, said: "There is a huge improvement to the centre. Pedestrians have reclaimed it."

The road, Saddler Street, is wide enough for only one car at a time but is also used by thousands of pedestrians every day. A rising bollard was linked to a ticket machine monitored by CCTV cameras. Exemptions were allowed for residents and their visitors; those who failed to pay faced an excess charge of £30.

London's scheme, due to start in February, will cost motorists £5 and covers the central, most congested area.

The success of the scheme in Durham, with fewer than expected motorists incurring the charge, has meant a shortfall of £5,000 in funding for a shuttle-bus service linking the castle and Cathedral World Heritage site with car parks and the railway station.

But a council spokeswoman said: "The object of the exercise was not about making money. It was all about cutting the amount of vehicles using the peninsula."