Livingstone's transport plans for (his) the future?

Posted on March 11, 2008 by Matthieu Desiderio

Already two times London’s mayor, Ken Livingstone launched on Monday, March 10, 2008 his “transport manifesto“, hoping to spend a third term in the office to conclude these huge transportation improvement projects.

The capital faces “a disaster” if very large projects go wrong

Several large projects are planned in London:

the £16bn London Crossrail project (see references below): Transport for London estimated Crossrail project’s benefit to the United Kingdom economy would reach £30 billion;
the £1bn-a-year tube modernisation, raising the standards of service and security on London’s “Overground” rail services; and
continuing the improvement of the bus network.

According to Ken Livingstone, “The biggest task confronting the mayor over the next four years is to successfully deliver the huge transport projects that are now under way in London – because these are the key not only to moving around the city but to the entire finances of London.”

Transport improvement that has been done over the last eight years will be pursued if Ken Livingstone is reelected, and environmental concerns will take a more and more important place: “I am running on my record of successfully delivering major improvements in London’s transport system in the last eight years and on delivering the even bigger schemes to come.”

What Livingstone proposes for 2008-2012

Mayor Livingstone transportation proposals for his next term are described below. Some have already been discussed on the Transport Information Group, especially the congestion charge/Low Emission Zone (LEZ) tolling. The public transport network will see improvements

a complete fleet of hybrid-powered buses by 2012;
fares concessions for older Londoners and students;
payment by mobile phone for Oyster cards holders (London transit smartcard); and
and minute-by-minute bus information technology.

Also, Livingstone proposed two other projects which will help to make London a “greener” city:

“a revolution” in cycle facilities, encouraging Londoners to ride bikes; and
a £25 congestion charge for the most polluting vehicles, even though challenged in the courts by the carmaker Porsche (see references from the Transport Information Group below).

One thing that is not clear is whether or not the present congestion charge will be increased or not. Mayor Livingstone, prior to its second election, dit not clearly announced he was planning a rise from £5 to £8 in the congestion charge, and people wonder if the same thing will happen again. There is no update about this issue in his manifesto but only about charging the most fuel-inefficient cars in the LEZ, up to £25 a day starting in October 2008. In a Times Online article, Transport Correspondent Ben Webster however announces that Ken Livingstone “is secretly planning much wider use of congestion charging across London if he is reelected as mayor on May 1.”

Opponents seems to be skeptic about what Ken Livingstone will really accomplish during his possible next term. One of them even declared Mayor Livingstone has been spending more money than expected for his transportation (and other?) projects: “His administration has consistently fallen behind with major projects or gone way over budget, costing Londoners millions.” We will probably know more about London’s transportation future in the next couple month.

References

Article: Livingstone stresses experience as he launches transport manifesto, Guardian, Mar. 10, 2008: here
Article: Livingstone’s secret plan to extend congestion charging, Times Online, Mar. 11, 2008: here
Website: Crossrail: here