Philip Green is outraged that motorists in Westminster will be charged to park on the street until midnight each weekday and until 6pm on Sundays. He says “people who come to London know they have got to find a place to park. Charging people on a Sunday is just outrageous behaviour” (umm, most people come by train and a few people seem to think your tax arrangement are a bit outrageous as well, and while we are at it, could you please stop your staff parking in the pedestrianised Arras Square in Ipswich?). The Bishop of London said he was concerned that the legislation would be “detrimental to the parishioners who have met Sunday by Sunday in our parish churches for hundreds of years” (gosh, and to think that they have been driving to church in cars for hundreds of years – amazing). Karen Buck, MP for North Westminster thinks the charges would be illegal (actually, Karen, there is significant legal evidence that it is illegal to park on the highway at all – Surrey County Council says if clearly on their website, stating that: “in common law, drivers have the right to pass and re-pass along the road. There is no legal right to park on a road, verge or footway“). Lord Young, the PMs business advisor said that the move ‘would destroy the West End’ (of course it would your Lordship – people come to see all the cars lined up on the roads, without them what is there to see).
Philip Green is ‘outraged’
Pedestrian Liberation 
Outrageous! They’ll be charging you to ride the bus next!
Sir Philip Green may employ lots of people, but he allegedly has chosen to arrange his tax-affairs so that many people would conclude he doesn’t pay his fair-share.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2010/aug/19/philip-green-liberal-democrats-tax
A simple answer is selectively to restrict and exclude cars from many roads in London. TfL and Boris seem to be determined to do the exact opposite of what is necessary.
Peter,
You may already be aware of this, but if not, I feel confident you will be interested in this: The High Cost of Free Parking – Donald M Shoup
I received an email from LCC, watched the video and did some googling. Looks interesting! In the video, there was a statement that: ‘ In New York and parts of San Francisco, 15 to 40% of all of the local traffic, is people looking for a spot, cruising for parking.’ I haven’t found a reference for this. I suspect that the UK will be different, but we’re heading that way.
Email
http://lcc.org.uk/articles/report-claiming-westminster-parking-charges-will-cause-economic-misery-based-on-guessing
The High Cost of Free Parking – Donald M Shoup
Click to access 351.pdf