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Originally Posted by jaguar
I don't remember the legal mandate to build the US embassy inside the congestion zone. Or travel in mercs. The sum involved is around 150kGBP so far but up until now the US embassy haspaid the charge along with all others, apart from Germany.
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So the US Embassy needs to move itself (after somehow finding a way to locate a building large enough and secure enough within London..if that's even possible) to a "no toll/road tax/service fee" area. It needs to spend literally, millions of dollars (and pounds) to do this, just to avoid a "fee" that was imposed AFTER they had been in that location...how many years?
I could see your point if they chose to move there after the fee was imposed, but they didn't ASK for this fee, so as was earlier pointed out, it's involuntary, they are diplomats and CANNOT take PT, so therefore it's a tax.
I think it's great that traffic has improved. I think it's great that City of London is raking in potentially $110m pounds per year. If the residents get 90% off, it's obvious that they aren't expected to move, as you're suggesting the Embassy does.
This is a tax for all those who were in the area prior to the imposition of the fee. (Therefore they have diplomatic immunity). It's a charge for all those who weren't.