London could become the first city in the UK to introduce a pay-per-mile charge on drivers, according to new plans to cut the number of journeys made by cars in the capital by three million a day.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan will today set out a wide-ranging strategy to tackle road congestion and pollution. According to reports, it is set to include plans to start charging vehicles based on the distance travelled in the capital, as well as introducing even higher charges for the most polluting cars.
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The road charging system could replace the existing Congestion Charge where motorists are charged a flat rate of £11.50 when entering the city centre.
The Mayor hopes the penalties will push more motorists towards public transport. Sadiq Khan has said he is aiming to reduce the number of car journeys made on London’s roads by three million a day and increase the proportion of journeys taken by public transport from 64 to 80 per cent.
According to The Times, the Mayor is also considering introducing other measures called “healthy routes” where pedestrians and cyclists would be given priority and cars could face a ban on certain days.
Sadiq Khan said: “As London’s population is set to increase beyond 10 million, our future health and prosperity is more and more dependent on us reducing our reliance on cars.
“We have to be ambitious in changing how our city works. While there will be 5m additional journeys being made across our transport network by 2041, at the same time we’re setting ourselves a bold target of reducing car journeys by 3m every day.
“We have to make not using your car the affordable, safest and most convenient option for Londoners going about their daily lives. This is not only essential for dealing with congestion as London grows, but crucial for reducing our toxic air pollution and improving the health of all Londoners.”
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