Ken Livingstone criticises Bexley for parking fines

Mr Livingstone made the comments when he visited the borough on Monday ahead of next year's mayoral election.

He met with train passengers at Erith Railway Station and students at Bexley College before visiting Welling and Bexleyheath High Street to speak to retailers.

The Labour candidate told News Shopper: "We have visited 25 boroughs and we have found no other is as fanatical by raising money through parking fines.

"What Bexley is doing to keep council tax down is screwing the motorists. Literally it's almost as if it's a religious fanaticism."

At an evening public meeting in Geddes Place United Reformed Church, Bexleyheath, he told residents: "Perhaps some degree of standardisation could be a good idea."

Caroline Mohan won an appeal after being fined for parking on a forecourt while having tyres fitted in Blackfen.

She said: "I'm actually in agreement with Ken Livingstone. If he can pin point the problem on just one visit there must be something in it."

Si Clark, a member of No To Mob which campaigns against council CCTV cars which take pictures of people parking illegally, also agreed with Mr Livingstone.

He said: "He is right. The parking tickets are being given out with no thought. Businesses are suffering."

"Unfortunately you can try to fight it and run the risk of having to pay the full amount of £110 - or just ask no questions and pay a reduced rate.

"People are not given the opportunity to challenge it fairly."

Responding to Mr Livingstone's criticism, Councillor Peter Craske, said: "Under the Conservatives, Bexley is issuing the lowest number of parking tickets ever compared to the 73,000 a year issued when under the Labour council.

“The car parking charges are the lowest in south east London with no increases planned for the next three years.

“The Labour council in Greenwich charges £2.50 an hour to park.

"Everyone knows the hypocrisy of the Labour claims and everyone remembers when Ken Livingstone increased council tax by 154 per cent while the Conservatives in Bexley have frozen council tax over the last two years.”

Fare Deal

ON MONDAY Ken Livingstone announced he would re-introduce a zone two to six day travelcard, which was scrapped in January.

Boris Johnson abolished the £8.60 travelcard, meaning commuters in places like Barnehurst now have to buy a £15 zone one to six travelcard to travel to zone two - costing £128 a month more.

Mr Livingstone said: "This is about righting a wrong and ending a disgraceful stealth tax on outer London that should never have been imposed by the Conservative mayor."

Under his Fare Deal plan, fares will be cut by five per cent to save the average commuter in London £800 over the next four years.

Commenting on Mr Livingstone's visit to the borough, Bexley Conservative Councillor Peter Craske, said: "By confirming his plans to cut London’s transport budget by over £800million, Ken Livingstone will need to cut bus services across Bexley, leading to fewer services and longer waiting times.

"There will also need to be reductions to the safer transport teams who have just ensured Bexley has the lowest level of bus crime in London, and the axing of the much planned and needed Crossrail station for Abbey Wood."