Chapter one – The challenge [Photo of people walking in central London] London’s transport matters London is one of the most entrepreneurial, international and outward-looking cities in the world. Its dynamism and diversity make it one of the most attractive places in which to live and work. It is home to people from every corner of the globe, to a huge variety of unique neighbourhoods and public spaces and to some of the world’s leading cultural attractions. Transport networks make the city what it is – connecting communities, opening up opportunities and creating the conditions for London’s global economy to flourish. The transport system also shapes Londoners’ everyday lives – how much physical activity they do, how long and pleasant their daily journeys to work, to school and around town are, and even where they choose to live. Careful planning can enable millions of individual decisions to work together in a way that creates a healthy and environmentally sustainable city. In many ways, the city’s transport system is already enhancing Londoners’ lives. In others, it is failing to do so. The way people move around needs to be re-examined in the context of the challenges the city now faces. “London’s streets should be for active travel and social interaction, but too often they are places for cars, not people.” Streets and cars London’s streets should be for active travel and social interaction, but too often they are places for cars, not people. Most of the main causes of early death in London are linked to inactivity, including the two biggest killers – heart disease and cancer. This inactivity is in part due to an overdependence on cars, even for very short trips. Today’s children are the first generation that is expected to live more of their lives in ill health from chronic diseases than their parents. Cars take up a lot of space relative to the number of people they can move around, and reliance on this space-inefficient mode of transport has made London’s streets some of the most congested in the world. This has huge impacts on Londoners – causing pollution, making streets unpleasant places to be and delaying public transport journeys. It also reduces the efficiency of freight and commercial journeys – the trips that keep the shops stocked and London’s businesses running. Motorised traffic is also overwhelmingly responsible for the greatest environmental challenges we face as a city. Currently, road transport is responsible for half of the main air pollutants, with
Policy 2 The Mayor, through TfL, the boroughs, police and enforcement authorities, will adopt Vision Zero for road danger in London. The Mayor’s aim is for no one to be killed in or by a London bus by 2030, and for all deaths and serious injuries from road collisions to be eliminated from London’s streets by 2041. Vision Zero means that road danger will be targeted at its source by ensuring the street environment incorporates safe speeds, safe people, safe street design and safe vehicles. It means reducing the dominance of motor vehicles on streets, and then making the remaining essential motorised journeys as safe as possible. With Vision Zero, road danger reduction will be considered integral to all the schemes delivered on London’s streets. The proposed pace of progress is set out by the short-, medium- and long-term targets below: 2022 – reduce the number of people who are killed or seriously injured by 65 per cent against 2005-09 levels 2030 – reduce the number of people who are killed or seriously injured by 70 per cent against 2010-14 levels 2041 – eliminate all deaths and serious injuries from road collisions from London’s streets In addition, interim targets have been set regarding buses: 2022 – reduce the number of people who are killed or seriously injured in, or by, London buses by 70 per cent against 2005-09 levels 2030 – reduce the number of people killed in, or by, London buses to zero. “Lowering speeds is fundamental to reducing road danger because a person is five times less likely to be fatally injured if hit at 20mph than at 30mph.” [Photo of a safer lorry with improved direct vision cab and a cyclist] To achieve this, efforts to reduce the danger posed by motor vehicle journeys will be focused in four areas: Safe speeds – lowering speeds is fundamental to reducing road danger because a person is five times less likely to be fatally injured if hit at 20mph than at 30mph Safe street design – ensuring all transport infrastructure projects in London contribute to reducing road danger; attention will focus particularly on areas of highest risk such as busy junctions and roundabouts Safe vehicles – making sure those vehicles that need to use London’s streets are as safe as possible
Plug-in vehicle grants Taxation: Vehicle tax exemption for zero emission NOW – 2025 Funding low-emission vehicle research – especially heavy vehicles NOW – 2050 Infrastructure: Increase use of renewable electricity generation for the National Grid until it results in net zero carbon emissions 2020 National diesel scrappage scheme 2020 – 2040 Taxation: Taxation encourages ultra low emission vehicles over conventional vehicles 2025 – 2040 Financial incentives for businesses/manufacturers 2040 – 2050 Taxation: Taxation discouraging ownership of non-zero emission vehicles.] Zero emission public transport It is the Mayor’s aim that London’s public transport fleet should produce zero exhaust emissions. This means making the most of London’s world-leading reputation for the uptake of hybrid, electric and hydrogen technology in the bus fleet. Current analysis indicates that a fully zero emission fleet could be in place by 2037, as shown in Figure 13, however more work is needed on this issue and TfL will work with suppliers to see how this timetable can be accelerated. Proposal 27 The Mayor, through TfL, will seek to ensure that, from 2018, all new double-deck buses will be hybrid, electric or hydrogen. In central London, all double-deck buses will be hybrid by 2019 and all new single-deck buses will emit zero exhaust emissions by 2020. The aim is for the whole TfL bus fleet to emit zero exhaust emissions by 2037 at the latest. For too long, the taxi trade has been restricted to heavy diesel vehicles. The Mayor is determined to establish London’s taxi fleet as the greenest in the world and to phase out diesel by requiring all newly licensed taxis to be Zero Emission Capable (ZEC) from 2018.