Government policies to favour private car and road transport
Result in rush hour traffic jams, large/extended periods of road works, increased potholes, large government spending on roads, heavier HGVs, increase in traffic incidents and accidents
Car ownership is increasing globally. The total number of vehicles reached 800 million in 2010. Most concentrated in developed countries and their urban areas
Many people work in urban areas but live in the suburbs and rural areas. They make regular journeys to and from home to work and/or places of leisure by road and rail
Economic growth in retailing and other consumer services (tertiary) leads to more service vehicles: Supermarket lorries, White van man, Courier services, Freight traffic
Research suggests not only does the frequency of journey increase but the distance travelled also does! People often make extra journeys for leisure purposes
A card that can be loaded with money using a debit or credit card. You can then use this card to travel around London on the tube or the bus, and you simply swipe it to go through the barriers or swipe it when you get on the bus to make a payment
Motorists are informed if they enter the congestion charge zone through signposts and road markings. A network of cameras reads vehicle number plates as you enter, drive around and leave the zone. Once the car number plate has been matched against the database of those who have paid the charge or who do not have to pay as their vehicle is exempt or registered for a 100% discount, the photographic images of the vehicle are automatically wiped off the database. Any vehicle recorded as having been in the zone during charging hours but where no daily charge has been paid by midnight the following charging day must pay a penalty charge. The charge was £10 per day
Discourage drivers from using the zone during peak hours and use public transport instead, thereby reducing congestion, the time spent in queues, the pollution generated, and the cost to the economy
The money generated is used to improve public transport, e.g., older London buses which generate more pollution have been removed from service
Reduce air pollution and make London city more accessible
Bike rental scheme in London where people pay a £2 bike access fee for the day, and the first 30 minutes of each journey is free. Longer journeys cost £2 for each extra 30 minutes.
Railway that travels both over and underground, built to connect the redeveloped Docklands area of London to the city centre, transporting around 110 million people per year
Use the latest green diesel-electric hybrid technology, producing around half the carbon dioxide, a quarter of the particulate matter, and nitrogen oxides of conventional diesel buses, and are more fuel efficient
Expanded on 25th October 2021 to reduce traffic pollution and improve the health and quality of everyone visiting, working or living in London. Vehicles must meet certain emission standards to drive within the zone without paying a daily charge.