Vince Cable

Much excitement - even hysteria - is being generated in the London media by the Mayor's congestion charge.

I have, however so far, received no letters on the congestion charge in contrast to hundreds on an Iraq war, the local council's re-designation of open land, the Twickenham table dancing club or the loss of public loos.

I suspect it is a non-issue locally.

Nonetheless, the issue is important. And, on basic principles, the Mayor is absolutely right. Our system of taxing motorists is absurd. We tax car ownership regardless of car use.

And it costs more to buy petrol to drive along open roads in the Scottish Highlands than to drive into London traffic jams.

We should cut duties on car ownership and levy charges on cars creating congestion and pollution.

In practice the bumbling incompetence of the Mayor and Capita may make a mess of the charge.

It is unnecessarily inflexible, not even exempting groups like the Macmillan nurses.

Not enough has been done to improve public transport - though the buses are getting better.

But the idea is right. Once the scheme has bedded down and there is better public transport it should be extended further.

In due course it will reach our borough. Every morning I see in Whitton Road queues of stationary cars taking Surrey commuters to work in Richmond council offices or company headquarters, or children to local schools.

The queues block buses and belch out pollution. In a few years time these journeys will be financially penalised.