London needs to slash car use to steer away from ‘filthy air and gridlocked roads’, says Khan
London needs to slash its car use, otherwise the city faces a crisis of “filthy air and gridlocked roads”, mayor Sadiq Khan has warned.
The mayor has urged for “greener means of travel”, after London was crowned the world’s most congested city late year, according to traffic information supplier Inrix.
Public transport use in the capital is yet to return to pre-pandemic levels, with commuters continuing to opt for cars to avoid shared spaces.
Congestion cost London’s economy more than £5bn last year – an average of £1,211 per driver, the Inrix report found.
Transport for London (TfL) confirmed today that it will hike congestion fines by 23 per cent to £160, for drivers caught out on the city’s Red Routes from Monday.
Red Routes, although they only make up around five per cent of the city’s roads, carry around a third of London’s traffic – which is why TfL has rules on where and when cars can stop and park.
Some 65 per cent of Londoners who responded TfL’s consultation for the increase opposed it.
“Increasing the penalty charge for contraventions on our road network in line with inflation will provide a more effective deterrent to drivers and improve the safety and reliability of the network,” TfL director of compliance, policing, operations and security, Siwan Hayward said.