The
London Ambulance Service is to pay staff working shifts within the capital’s
new congestion-charging zone an
allowance to compensate them for incr-eased travelling costs.
The
taxable interim payment – which will amount to the equivalent of £550 a year –
will be paid on a monthly basis to compensate approximately 400 frontline and
control room employees.
From
next Monday, ambulance staff will have to pay £5 a day to the Greater London
Authority (GLA) if they drive into central London from Monday to Friday between
7am and 6.30pm.
HR
manager for the London Ambulance Service Tony Crabtree said the payments were
being made in recognition of the difficulties staff face in using public
transport when working unsociable hours.
The
service has also introduced the payments to ensure that its ability to attract
and retain staff is not damaged by the congestion charge.
"Concerns
exist over how the charge may impact on the service’s ability to recruit and
retain staff in the central London area at a time when we’re committed to
increasing the number of people working in ambulances and the control
room," he explained. Crabtree added that the service supports the
principle of reducing congestion in London to help improve response times and
would be looking at ways to address the transport challenges faced by staff.
The
GLA claims the congestion charge – which will be enforced by hundreds of
high-tech cameras – will reduce traffic and raise millions of pounds each week
to be reinvested in London’s public transport system.
By
Ben Willmott
