Three main urban transport strategies are being used to reduce traffic congestion in London:
1. Congestion Charge
Drivers are now charged a congestion charge of £11:50 to drive into the centre of London. This can be paid online or by phone, with fines issued for those who do not pay. Positives:
The main response by drivers has been to switch to public transport.
There are now around 70,000 fewer vehicles in the charging zone.
£1.2billion has been earned yearly which is spent on improving public transport.
Negatives:
It has not reduced congestion as much as some had hoped.
Journey times are very similar when compared to its introduction in 2003, largely due to an increase in road works in the city.
2. Santander Cycles
Bikes, known as ‘Santander Cycles’, can be hired for as little as £2 per day. Cycle lanes and cycle parking facilities can be found throughout London. Positives:
Hiring a bike is cheap and much more environmentally friendly than using a vehicle.
In the first 10 weeks of operation, over 1 million cycle rides were taken.
Negatives:
Although over 1 million Londoners owned a bike in 2008, only 2% of journeys were made by bike.
‘Santander Cycles’ require constant maintenance, and road accidents are still frequent.
3. Improving Public Transport
Using buses in London has been made more attractive, with more convenient and quicker bus routes, using bus lanes to speed up journeys. Arrival boards have been installed at over 2500 stops. They plan to introduce around 3,000 Ultra Low Emission double-deck buses in central London by 2019. London commuters can travel on most forms of transport using the Oyster card (which is topped up) or a contactless bank card. This speeds up movement through ticket barriers. Positives:
Buses now carry 2.3billion passengers in London per year, increasing by 60% between 2003 and 2013.
One bus full of passengers replaces many cars, resulting in reduced congestion and lower emissions.
Negatives:
After many years of growth, bus usage has begun to fall. This may be down to the fact that they have become increasingly unreliable. 15% of Londoners surveyed said they were not satisfied with the bus service in 2015.