Friday 19 August 2022 08:19 PM Londoners warn plans to introduce New York congestion charge will hurt local ... trends now

London's business owners and motorists have warned New York City faces a world of pain should it implement a congestion charge - similar to that seen in the capital and championed by its mayor Sadiq Khan during a recent trip to the United States.

Plans to carve up parts of the Big Apple and implement charges of up to $23 (£18.95) to enter central Manhattan were outlined yesterday as the iconic American city aims to slash the number of cars on its gridlocked roads.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul is ploughing ahead with the controversial idea in a bid to raise billions - following in the footsteps of London's Transport for London which has raised more than £4bn from the congestion charge since 2003.

The proposals come just months after Sadiq Khan - himself a staunch defender of burdening motorists with pollution charges for driving their cars - visited New York City during his £34,000 taxpayer-funded tour of America.

During the visit, Mr Khan had been gushing in his praise for the capital's congestion charge, telling reporters congestion pricing was a 'massive success' and was necessity in major cities to cut pollution and gridlock. 

But businesses and motorists closer to home have warned of the dire impacts the additional levy has had on the capital, as millions of cars are still being clocked in the congestion zone each month.

Meanwhile, Khan's other anti-motorist pet project - the Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) - has faced heavy criticism from researchers, who claim it has barely had an impact on emissions.

In November last year, researchers from Imperial College London found the controversial scheme resulted in just a 3 per cent reduction in nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels and 'insignificant' drops in levels of ozone (O3).

Amazingly, at some sites around the capital, air pollution actually worsened, despite the ULEZ coming into force. 

Last month the Federation of Small Businesses wrote to the Mayor to warn him that expanding his (ULEZ) scheme out to large areas of Greater London in 2023 could spell the end for local entrepreneurs.

London's Chamber of Commerce and Industry also warned Mr Khan that policies 'that are rushed and fail to account for business' requirements will have negative outcomes for our city'. 

Meanwhile, business owners and local residents have told MailOnline how their companies and lives have already suffered, including through loss of trade - with some even warning 'our future is in danger'. 

Some small business owners - such as hairdressers, takeaways and dry cleaners - claim their takings are being cut by as much as 70 per cent. 

Business owners in Clerkenwell, which sits on the edge of the zone, say the extension of the £15 charge to weekends has been a particular blow.

Before coronavirus struck, the charge did not apply at weekends. But during the pandemic, Mr Khan extended the charge to cover evenings and weekends.

In December last year it was scale back to pre-pandemic timings in the evenings - ending at 6pm rather than 10pm. It is now levied on cars entering the zone between noon and 6pm.

Ali Gezer, 45, manager of Kennedy's of Goswell Road fish and chip shop, in Clerkenwell, central London said: 'It is putting people off coming here and we are worried. 

It should be free at weekends like it used to be, when people are going to be out and about. We have around 70 per cent fewer customers than we did before they got rid of the exemptions for weekends.

'Before the change we had more than 10 staff working here, now we only have one. It is making me feel very bad. I feel like I have no money, especially with the price of everything else going up as well. Weekends should be made free.'

Umut Gulbeyaz, 32, who owns The Craftmens Barber on Goswell Road said: 'I live in Hertfordshire and I can't drive to work.

'If I could drive it would take around 40 minutes but, because of the charge, I get the train which takes around an hour and a half and now there are often strikes.

'A lot of people don't want to get the train and like their car, it is their personal private space. Our businesses has been affected badly by the end of the exemption for weekends. We are taking around half of what we did before.

'It is not that much money but if someone comes for a haircut they have to pay £15 on top of the price of a haircut.'

Cesur Eren, 41, who owns Belmond Barbers in Barbican said: 'Of course it is affecting us. It applies at times people want to come into the city, which is during the day.

He said: 'We open on Saturdays and when it was free on Saturdays sometimes my family and friends used to drive here to get a haircut. Now that is not possible.

'Sometimes I feel I really need to drive to bring products but that is not possible either. I get them delivered which is slower. Trade has dropped by around a third since the pandemic.

'That is partly because people are not coming into the city as much but having the charge in place at weekends is also part of it.'  

Rory Sandresegara, 31, who manages Fare Italian restaurant on Old Street, believes the idea of the congestion charge is a 'good thing'. But he admits it has impacted on the business.

He said: 'It is hard to track but the congestion charge massively affects our trade. Personally I think it is a good thing overall but it really affects our trade.'

Mahmud Alam, 30, owner of A&Z dry cleaners on Old Street said: 'It is really affecting us because customers can't park locally or if they do they have to pay.

'Most of our customers come from Hackney which is outside the zone. At the weekend they can't bring their cars.

'Of course I am worried about it. The business needs government support to help us, we are losing our customers because of this. The charge needs to go back to being on weekdays only.

'Before they imposed the charge on weekends we were really busy on Saturdays. Today is a Saturday but we don't have a customer in here right now. Our future is in danger.'

Others who do not own businesses, but who live in the city  

Ann Bearpark, 63, who lives on Chequer Street in Clerkenwell and works for Newham Council said: 'I live in this area and it massively affects me. I have two daughters who live outside London but they come in to help me because I can't carry my shopping and to visit.

'Anyone who has elderly

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