Parking around stations in Kingston and Richmond could be made intolerable by Ken Livingstone's congestion charging, some councillors fear.

Areas of particular concern are around Surbiton station and certain roads in Barnes, Twickenham and Richmond.

Fears are that on Monday, February 17, when congestion charging begins, motorists wishing to avoid the £5 a day tariff will park near a station and take the train.

Measures such as controlled parking zones (CPZs), where parking permits are required, are not on Richmond Council's agenda but could be necessary, according to Councillor Mark Kreling.

The cabinet member for traffic for Richmond said: "CPZs are not a road we want to go down but we anticipate increased problems in Richmond and Twickenham."

Surbiton station and its surrounding roads are already struggling to cope with parking demands from commuters looking to take advantage of the 20-minute Surbiton to Waterloo service and increased services on the line.

Phase one of a CPZ to cover all the areas surrounding the station is in consultation but there will be a gap between the introduction of congestion charging and the implementation of a CPZ, if it gets the go-ahead.

Local Councillor Barry O'Mahony said: "We are already in the process of consulting with residents for parking permits to get rid of the existing commuter parking.

"It is an interesting issue and because there will be a gap we will get to see in some places whether it has made a difference or not."

Coun O'Mahony believes Railtrack should be approached to look at services from other stations.

At present people drive to Surbiton from Esher, Thames Ditton, Hampton Court and Claygate to get more frequent trains and save money on a season ticket. He feels the only way to ensure an end to commuter parking in Surbiton is to offer people an affordable and regular service from smaller stations.

January 27, 2003 10:00