www.theblisspages.com - congestion charge
www.theblisspages.com - congestion charge
Another example of the evils of outsourcing is the congestion charge for driving in central London.
CAPITA is the company paid to collect the charge, but its administration department is a nightmare to deal with. People have had bailiffs at their door for vehicles that have been sold several years previously.
Some of the situations people have found themselves in are Kafkaesque in their absurdity. I heard of one case where someone had received several tickets, and had letters from the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) proving that they had disposed of the vehicle before any of the alleged offences. The jobsworths at CAPITA then insisted that a separate letter was needed for each instance of the disputed charges.
You will, no doubt, be pleased to hear that CAPITA has been fined four and a half million pounds for this fiasco, but wait...
Not content with the £280 million it's likely to make out of its current five-year contract, it seems likely that the contract will be extended until February 2009, and they are also tipped to win an extension when the zone is extended to cover Kensington and Chelsea.
Personally, I don't pay the charge at all. Why? Cycles are exempt, and cycling is the fastest and most efficient way to travel round London. You can cycle past the dreaded circled Cs with impunity, speeding past the fuming motorists and getting fitter into the bargain.
updated Thu 10 Mar '05 give feedback...
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: © Mike Bliss 2009