Confusion over London’s transport strategy has arisen after mayor Boris Johnson produced contradictory statements about the implementation of an additional road-user charging scheme.
A possible ‘pound per mile’ concept for heavily-trafficked roads was mooted in the transport strategy – released on Monday, to broad criticism – to make up the £2bn lost by removing the western extension of the congestion charge.
After intense newspaper speculation on road charging, mixed responses then came out of the mayor’s office on its possible application.
Kulveer Ranger, mayor of London transport adviser, said: ‘If the raft of other measures to address congestion and pollution do not have the expected effects, road-user charging could at that time be considered.’
But he later told London Councils: ‘This mayor in this term and the next term is not going to implement road-user charging.’
Darren Johnson, chair of the London Assembly, reported that the mayor had ‘categorically ruled out any expansion in congestion charging at any time in the future’. Mr Johnson also claimed the mayor said he only put road charging within the strategy so another future mayor could consider it – and that he wouldn’t.
He said the contradiction showed the mayor ‘was not setting any real, clear direction’, and the transport strategy was merely ‘a random collection of policies’.
Mike Keegan, from Transport for London’s planning department, said the road-user charging issue was ‘about preserving future options’.
A firm announcement was made in the strategy relating to public realm work, with £300m set aside for a ‘better streets’ strategy. The mayor has also reiterated his commitment to deliver Crossrail by 2017 and Crossrail 2 – the Chelsea-Hackney line – beyond 2020.
But Val Shawcross, Labour AM, said the mayor was ‘backing away from the big decisions’, since no plans to upgrade the public transport system were outlined.
Liberal Democrats London Assembly leader, Mike Tuffrey, said: ‘It is little more than a dreamland of warm words. ‘The plan is sadly lacking in how most of the changes will come about, or the vital milestones which must be reached on the way.’
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