Congestion Charge discounts

Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Victoria, thank you for your question. I think this is one of those things where we have to put our hands up and say, yes, there has been a cock up - if I can use that phrase. Can I? Murad thinks it is all right. It has been ruled in order! I would blame two things that happened at once. We had a post office strike and there was a huge wave of discount renewals on the first anniversary of the Western Extension Zone (WEZ) and that did cause IBM - who are the new contractors - a great deal of logistical difficulties. There was a backlog. They employed extra staff and they did work very hard to clear the backlog.

All I can say is that if your constituents are still suffering inconvenience and if they are still irritated and angry with me, as I expect that they may be, I apologise and the Congestion Charge staff are trying to be as helpful and as accommodating as possible.

Peter Hendy (Commissioner, Transport for London): I think it is very gallant of the Mayor to say he is responsible but actually I am responsible as well and we would not seek to minimise it.

Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): I take the blame for everything!

Peter Hendy (Commissioner, Transport for London): The postal strike and the coincidence of the handover of the Congestion Charge contract did cause some back-log and it is now cleared.

Victoria Borwick (AM): It may be cleared in the main but I have to say I have still had residents complaining. OK, I offered to Kit [Malthouse] my services to help in this matter because, inevitably, he is busy with the police, and I have still had a number of complaints, only in the last 48 hours, which I am forwarding on to you. As far as an anniversary date was concerned I do think that could have been seen. I do think it does not put us in a good light. I think it comes at a time of other announcements about Transport for London and I do not think that it was handled well.

I am delighted and pleased that you have publicly apologised but it is certainly a time of great angst to customers, particularly those who perhaps have not got the internet but still use their car as a lifeline. I think it is those people who have suffered most. I find it is the older residents who are confused and find it complicated. People who have said they have rung several times to get a form sent to them in the post and still nothing arrives and they have phoned several times.

I have also several residents who have held on - including myself when I was trying to renew mine, which was a total cock up and one of the reasons I was also alerted to this nightmare which I will not bore you with, anecdotal stories --

Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Tell us!

Victoria Borwick (AM): -- but people who are holding on for at least an hour.

Boris Johnson (Mayor of London): Still?

Victoria Borwick (AM): No, this is up to last week, so I cannot tell you about this week. I have to say, though the staff are charming, I do think that we do need to still monitor this, please, if I may say, for the next few weeks.

Peter Hendy (Commissioner, Transport for London): I should say we are monitoring it. I am looking at it myself on a weekly basis.

Victoria Borwick (AM): Thank you for that reassurance.

Peter Hendy (Commissioner, Transport for London): It is unfortunate and actually what we should have foreseen is that the result of the postal strike would have created a far greater backlog than we had expected to have.

If you have got any cases which are complex and outstanding then let me have them and we will deal with them forthwith.

Victoria Borwick (AM): I have actually got a contact and I have been sending them through on a daily basis.