Despite the high profile success of London's congestion charge in cutting traffic, only one other British city is likely to introduce a similar scheme before the end of the decade. Edinburgh is pressing ahead with plans for a ￡2 charge to be operational by spring 2006. But elsewhere, local authorities previously in favour of congestion charging have become wary. One reason may be the perceived impact of road user charging on town and city centre economies; retailers in central London, such as John Lewis, have complained that the charge has lost them customers. Authorities would also have noted that the London scheme failed to cover its costs during its first year of operation. Transport for London (TfL) spent ￡130m on the scheme - including its operation, laying on more buses and penalty compliance - but generated only ￡68m in revenue, half of what had been predicted. There are also the political implications of introducing road user charging - cabinet members fear that an unpopular scheme could lose them their seats. A TfL spokesman told Parking Review: "Other cities are watching if Ken Livingstone is re-elected [in June's mayoral elections]. They are also waiting to see what the longer term effects of the scheme will be."
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