This has been a long time in the coming - TfL have been pushing for it
for years!

TfL press release:
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/media/newscentre/24232.aspx

Archived URL will be:
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/media/newscentre/archive/24232.aspx

Selected extracts...

---quote---
*Green light for London to charge utility companies who dig at the
busiest times and cause congestion*

Transport for London introduces targeted and avoidable charge for
digging up Capital's most congested areas.
[...]
London has become the first city in the UK to charge utility companies
for the amount of time that they dig up the Capital's busiest roads.
[...]
From today onwards TfL is able to charge utility firms up to £2,500 a
day for working in congested areas and at busy times of the day.

The scheme covers over 200 miles (57 per cent) of the TfL road network,
covering the areas most susceptible to major roadwork disruption.

TfL is not exempt from the rules and the new scheme will also ensure
that their works are delivered with minimal disruption.

Currently, around 70 per cent of TfL works are carried out outside of
peak hours, compared to around 20 per cent of utility works.
By encouraging companies to carry out their work overnight or during
off-peak hours, all road users - including drivers, cyclists and bus
passengers - will benefit from more reliable journey times and less
disruption.

More than 270 Metropolitan Police Service Traffic-trained Police
Community Support Officers, who are funded by TfL and patrol the TfL
roads on a daily basis, will play a key role in monitoring works under
the Lane Rental scheme.

Together with TfL officials, they will monitor roadworks to ensure
promoters are working during operational hours and take any action
required should they spot bad practices by the companies responsible for
the works.

Any additional revenue raised by the scheme once operating costs have
been recovered will be put towards measures that could reduce disruption
from roadworks, to be jointly overseen by TfL and the major utility
companies.
---/quote---


This follows on from the introduction in 2010 of the London Permit
Scheme for roadworks (which will continue to operate).

I'm sometimes minded to think that roadworks companies are running some
kind of elaborate scam whereby pipes and cables break at (in)opportune
intervals in order for the work to keep rolling in, but I think the
reality of an ageing infrastructure that has developed more by piecemeal
than by planning along with ever heavier traffic (in both senses of the
word) is more likely. (Still, it would have helped if Thames Water had
gradually replaced their water mains over the years rather than waking
up a while back and realising that a mass replacement programme was
suddenly needed...)

Now, is there any chance of a lane rental scheme for drivers who decide
they want to execute a three-point turn (and hash it up into a
seven-point turn) in the middle of say the Harrow Road during the
evening rush?

Mizter T wrote:

This has been a long time in the coming - TfL have been pushing for it
for years!


A long time indeed. It was promised in the early 1980s by the
Thatcher government, then again in the early 1990s by the Major
Government.

200 miles suggests this will apply only to Red Routes. That will be better
than nothing but for this policy really to work, it needs to be enforced
on all major roads. I wouldn't object to it applying to quiet residential
streets as well.

In article ,
(Robin9) wrote:

Mizter T;131226 Wrote:

From today onwards TfL is able to charge utility firms up to £2,500
a day for working in congested areas and at busy times of the day.

The scheme covers over 200 miles (57 per cent) of the TfL road network,

covering the areas most susceptible to major roadwork disruption.

TfL is not exempt from the rules and the new scheme will also
ensure that their works are delivered with minimal disruption.

200 miles suggests this will apply only to Red Routes. That will be
better than nothing but for this policy really to work, it needs to be
enforced on all major roads. I wouldn't object to it applying to quiet
residential streets as well.

TfL's writ only runs on Red Routes, surely?

--
Colin Rosenstiel

Yes it does except, unfortunately, for traffic lights. But first
Steve Norris and then Boris Johnson made it plain they wanted
this rent charging scheme to apply all over London and on all main roads.

"Mizter T" wrote in message ...
From today onwards TfL is able to charge utility firms up to £2,500 a day
for working in congested areas and at busy times of the day.

The scheme covers over 200 miles (57 per cent) of the TfL road network,
covering the areas most susceptible to major roadwork disruption.

TfL is not exempt from the rules and the new scheme will also ensure that
their works are delivered with minimal disruption.

So if TfL works overrun, then TfL will be able to charge TfL up to £2500 per
day. That should prove a great incentive!

Peter Smyth

Someone should charge TfL for their overruns! The recently completed
North Circular Road works at Palmers Green and New Southgate took
three years to complete instead of the six months that would have
been more than adequate. In the USA that scheme would have been
done and dusted within about six weeks.

On Wed, 13 Jun 2012 17:49:11 +0100
Robin9 wrote:
Peter Smyth;131273 Wrote:


So if TfL works overrun, then TfL will be able to charge TfL up to £2500
per
day. That should prove a great incentive!

Peter Smyth

Someone should charge TfL for their overruns! The recently completed
North Circular Road works at Palmers Green and New Southgate took
three years to complete instead of the six months that would have

Can't say I'm surprised. I drive that section on my way to work each day.
I rarely saw any workers there and when there was someone they were usually
just standing around doing **** all.

been more than adequate. In the USA that scheme would have been
done and dusted within about six weeks.

In most european countries apart from maybe Italy it would have been done
pretty quickly too.

B2003