Sadiq Khan has pledged to make all TfL Tube, rail and bus services zero emission by 2050.
The commitment is a key part of the Mayor’s new transport strategy which sets out how he intends to create “a fairer, greener, healthier and more prosperous city” for all Londoners.
Published today for public consultation, the strategy also includes a commitment to complete the Tube’s signalling upgrade, allowing the network to run more frequent services.
Mr Khan’s strategy also promises “an unprecedented focus on walking and cycling” in a bid to improve personal health and support efforts to clean up London’s poor air quality.
Disabled Londoners and visitors to the city are being promised more step-free stations and that TfL will work to halve the journey times on the step-free network so that they “become comparable to those on the wider transport network.”
And, despite Transport Secretary Chris Grayling’s decision to tear up the government’s commitment to pass control of suburban rail services to TfL, today’s document also commits the Mayor to continue “making the case to Government for devolution.”
The plan also commits the Mayor to consider “the development of the next generation of road user charging systems” which could replace the Congestion Charge, Low Emission Zone and Ultra Low Emission Zone.
Publishing the document, Mr Khan said: “London is the greatest city in the world and as it continues to grow it is vital that we take a bold approach to ensure our transport network works for all.
“We simply cannot afford to take the same old approach to travel as our growing population puts increasing pressure on our network.
“That’s why today I’m setting out a new long-term vision for our capital – one that puts walking, cycling and zero-emission public transport right at the heart of our day-to-day lives.
“So while we are delivering affordable, reliable and accessible transport through the improved services and new infrastructure that we need, we’re also changing the whole way we look at transport as a whole.”
London’s Transport Commissioner, Mike Brown, added: “This ambitious strategy for the next 25 years sets out how we will invest in modernising and improving our services so that people have excellent transport connections no matter where they are in the city.
“A key focus of the strategy is the Mayor’s Healthy Streets Approach, creating a fairer, greener, healthier and more prosperous city, where Londoners are encouraged to do at least 20 minutes of active travel each day that they need to stay healthy.”
The Federation of Small Businesses has used today’s launch to renew calls for a “root and branch” review of London’s road charging schemes.
Sue Terpilowski OBE, London Policy Chair, commented: “With congestion charges, low emission charges, ultra-low emission charges, road crossing charges and additional ‘T-Charges’, the time has come for a grown-up debate on whether the current charging mechanisms, and future mechanisms, will do more harm than good to London’s competitiveness.
“It is our opinion that these blunt instruments have disproportionate impacts on smaller businesses and that TfL and the Mayor should act now before more small businesses are priced out of London.”
The draft Mayor’s Transport Strategy is open to public consultation until 2 October 2017 and can be accessed at tfl.gov.uk.
