The Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) mechanism will pump hundreds of millions of £s into tarnsport schemes in and around Reading to relieve congestion. Following the collapse of the one-way IDR scheme, RBC has tried to work with neighbouring authorities to develop a TIF bid to secure a large chunk of funds and asked their neighbours what schemes they would like included so that they can all be put together in a package that will have a major effect on Reading area transport over the coming 10 years or so. The TIF bid being put together recognises that if all the proposed measures do not seriously lower the levels of congestion in Reading town centre in the coming years then some form of charging will be needed. This might take the form of a Low Emissions Zone where heavier polluting vehicles are charged for entering the town centre.       

Conservative West Berks councillors, in their wisdom, have decided not to participate in anything that might eventually lead to any form of charging. The Toads of Newbury Hall apparently could not care less about the poor peasants in Reading who are desparately trying to reduce congestion in their town. They still think thay have some inalienable right to drive their cars anywhere they damn well please and that congestion is obviously a Reading problem so why should West Berks be at all interested.

As it stands, the Toads will have their way, there will be no park and ride schemes to the west of Reading, no bus improvements and the A4 will remain as clogged as ever. In fact the A4 will get much worse when the developments approved by West Berks on Pincents Hill and around Theale are built and hundreds of new residents try to drive into Reading.

What a shoddy display of Tory ‘I’m all right Jack’ attitudes from the Conservative West Berks councillors !