Traffic jams cost London £ 1.5 billion annually (£ 1,211 per driver). New official figures have revealed that the congestion fee and the ultra-low-emission zone (ULEZ) are due to a single, optimized toll system for the city.
City Hall announced that cycling during the Covid-19 pandemic increased 22 percent compared to summer 2019, but public transport use fell by 95 percent. The latter have not yet returned to normal levels, buses currently have 70 percent of their normal needs and the subway 55 percent.
Car use has since remained largely stable, with the proportion of all trips on foot, by bike and public transport in London falling from 63.2 percent to 58.9 percent due to Covid.
City hall claims that more than a third of car journeys can be made in 25 minutes on foot and two thirds in 20 minutes by bike.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: “Most of the traffic is simply caused by excessive demand for limited road space, so the only long-term solution can be to significantly reduce car use in favor of greener modes of transport.”
Nick Bowes, executive director of the Think Tanks Center for London, said the toll was “world leader when it was first introduced” but argued that it is now “obsolete and has become less effective over time”.
He concluded: “The mayor must be brave and introduce a simpler, smarter and fairer system of road tolls, replacing both the congestion fee and the ultra-low emission zone.
“Such a system would remove congestion, improve air quality and encourage travel by public transport, on foot and by bike by charging drivers for miles. It could also play a key role in bridging the void in the Transport for London budget. “
Find out more about the toll zone and how you can pay here …
