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Saturday, 4 May 2024

2024 London Mayoral and Assembly Elections - Upcoming Improvements For Transport To Improve The Economy And Deliver Cleaner Air

Firstly, I don't really wish to get involved with party politics, especially on social media.

In this section of the article, I will highlight the manifesto policies for the London Mayoral election about transport from the main four political party candidates (Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrats and Greens).

Which transport improvements do we expect to see with Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan in his third term?

Here are the highlights of the public transport policies from his 2024 Mayoral Election Manifesto:

Making London Greener

We have truly started to turn the tide when it comes to tackling air pollution in London, but there is still much more to do. This is not the time to roll back on the progress we have made, as some want to do, but to push on and finish the job. That’s why I pledge to continue taking bold action. This includes:

• delivering a 100 per cent zero-emission bus fleet by 2030

I want Londoners to have certainty about the future, so I commit to keeping the London-wide ULEZ standards the same over the next four years. I also rule out a move to any form of pay-per-mile smart road user charging system.

Keeping London moving

Transport is a cornerstone of my vision for a fairer, greener and more prosperous city. Transport doesn’t only shape our daily lives and determine how we get around London – it can create new opportunities for Londoners and enhance the character of our city.

Since 2016, we have got the Superloop bus network, the Night Tube and the Elizabeth line all up and running, making it easier, faster and more sustainable for Londoners to move around our city. But I want to connect even more parts of our city, particularly in outer London. So I will unleash a public transport revolution in outer London, building on the success of the Superloop bus network by introducing a second superloop. More town-centre to town-centre connections in outer London is what Londoners need.

Our plan for outer London will also include addressing the poor service and standards faced by Londoners using non- TfL rail services in our city. We’ll work with a Labour government to take the necessary steps to give Londoners the services they deserve. This includes exploring greater devolution of rail services and what lines could be better run by TfL. I will push to deliver the next generation of major transport projects, including the Bakerloo Line Extension, West London Orbital and DLR to Thamesmead. These projects could unlock an additional 150,000 new homes and would be a huge economic boost for our city. I’ll also continue work to safeguard the Crossrail 2 route so that this much-needed project can be brought to fruition in the future.

While we wait to complete these major transport projects, I’ll explore the potential to run Superloop-style express bus services along some of these routes.

I’ll also drastically reduce disruption on our roads by working with TfL and councils to extend the lanerental scheme to borough roads. This will mean that utility companies and others will have to pay when they dig up borough roads, incentivising them to co-ordinate and finish roadworks much more quickly. All the revenue raised will be reinvested to fix potholes and reduce road congestion. This will be done in partnership with TfL, boroughs and my Infrastructure Coordination Service.

My other transport commitments include:

• Continuing to put new trains on our transport network. I commit to delivering a fleet of 54 new DLR trains by 2028, developing plans to replace the Bakerloo line fleet, and delivering the new Piccadilly line trains from 2025
• Launching a new plan to cut bus waiting times and exploring new approaches to increase bus ridership and improve the passenger experience, including adding WiFi and phone charging points. I’ll also work with a Labour government to explore the potential benefits and means of bringing bus operations into public ownership
• Modernising TfL’s approach to ticketing. This will include: allowing concession holders to use their phones as their travel pass, instead of having to carry an Oyster card; working with the government to roll out contactless payment in stations outside London; and working to include National Rail discounts when contactless payments are used
• Working with TfL to review our fares and ticketing system to ensure it continues to be world-leading and can meet the evolving needs of passengers. The way Londoners and visitors travel on public transport is changing, which means our approach to fares and ticketing must be more flexible and innovative
• Expanding the step-free access programme to cover half of the Underground network by 2030

Here's are my responses to his election pledges on Twitter/X.

I'll show you the manifestos of their transport policies from the other candidates (Conservative, Green and Liberal Democrats):

Susan Hall, Conservative

0.2 Scrap The Ulez Expansion And Pay-per-mile On Day 1.

TfL will be ordered to cease enforcement of the expanded ULEZ and Sadiq Khan’s pay-per-mile plans will be cancelled.

0.4 Get London Moving And Stop The War On Motorists.

We need a Transport Strategy that is rebalanced across all modes of transport. We will extend the Night Tube onto up to four more lines and reinstate the Freedom Pass and 60+ Oyster Card in peak morning hours. We will help communities to remove unwanted LTNs and remove 20mph zones where safe to do so.

I will reinstate the Freedom Pass and 60+ Oyster Card in peak morning hours, reversing Sadiq Khan’s cut.

Londoners have told me how frustrating it is that Sadiq Khan permanently banned these passes during peak morning hours. Reinstating the peak hours would help some of the most vulnerable Londoners to get to hospital and GP appointments without the worry of how much of a financial strain on them it will be.

I will collaborate with neighbouring councils to deliver express bus services, connecting commuter towns outside Greater London to our bus network.

I will also look to set up express bus services for parts of outer London not currently served by the Superloop, such as Chingford and Romford. I will prioritise funding for TfL infrastructure, bringing in the Central Line upgrades as soon as possible. Sadiq Khan wasted £30 million trying to stop the trade union barons from going on strike just before the election, when he could have been investing in fixing problems in TfL. The Central Line is causing travel chaos for commuters, and this is having a knock-on effect on other lines. The priority should always be to improve the service for passengers, and I will ensure that TfL budgets are spent appropriately.

Black cabs will go where buses can go.

London’s black cabs are iconic. Not only are they steeped in history, but most of the fleet is electric and wheelchair accessible. Currently, black cabs are banned from using some bus lanes and bus gates. I will help black cabs get you from A to B quicker.

I will ramp up the number of electric charging points in London.

We have about 18,000 electric charging points in London, only 900 of which are rapid charging. Both numbers are far too low for a city of our size. London needs upwards of 40,000 chargers by 2030. I will work with the Department for Transport, private companies, and local councils to increase the number of charge points, as well as asking TfL to put aside specific funding for charge points.

I will accelerate the transition to electric buses.

In London, electric buses make up just over 10% of the TfL bus fleet, whilst just under 4,000 buses are still diesel hybrids that pollute our roads. We need to make further progress on this, and I will direct TfL to prioritise fully electric buses on routes where the air quality is worse. Furthermore, the buses need to be safe. We must ensure that the electric buses that have been taken out of circulation following fires should be brought back in only when safe to do so.

Zoë Garbett, Green Party

Affordable and sustainable travel

We want to reduce private car journeys and encourage people to walk, wheel or cycle, or to take public transport, without disadvantaging anyone. We need to increase access to bicycles and make bus fares affordable. To fund more affordable public transport we will revise charging schemes for drivers of the most expensive and polluting cars, while exempting disabled badge holders. By the end of our first term in 2028, we will have replaced the current Mayor’s ULEZ scheme with a smarter, fairer road-pricing plan, which will see cleaner vehicles on our roads, protect drivers’ data privacy and reduce distances driven.

Fairer Buses

We want to encourage people to use buses if they cannot cycle or walk. Free bus travel can be a fantastic way of improving quality of life for groups of people who need support.

In some cases, current restrictions are unfair, like time limits on Freedom Passes. Our older generations should not have to make up for the revenue TfL lost during the pandemic. Offering free travel only to students disadvantages other young people. Similarly, asylum seekers who cannot work deserve support in accessing essential services and attending meetings, as do the many emergency workers who do so much amazing work for our city. We will consider expanding access to further groups as our transport strategies develop. We will:

►Freeze bus fares at the current level for our first term.

► Extend free bus travel to all under-22s, emergency service workers, and people seeking asylum.

► Restore 24 hour free travel to holders of 60+ London Oyster photocards and Older Person’s Freedom Passes. Accompanying carers will have the same benefits.

► Consult communities on the introduction of new, direct bus routes that allow safe travel between neighbourhoods and give them a say over changes to existing bus routes, such as extending the 210 from Stamford Hill to Golders Green and the 463 from Coulsdon South Station to Netherne- on-the-Hill, to help connect places in outer London with public transport options.

Smarter road charging

Immediately in 2024 we will start consultation on a new, pay-per- mile road-charging scheme, which will be fair for people who drive outside Central London and at less busy times. We will aim to have a new scheme in operation by the end of our first term in 2028. The current Mayor’s scheme only encourages some less-polluting cars and does little to relieve congestion and improve air quality in outer boroughs.

Improving Accessibility

We will make it easier for all people to get around London by properly consulting disabled people on planning. We will adopt recommendations from the Sustrans’ Disabled Citizens’ Inquiry to make sure public transport is as accessible as possible.

We will make London a dementia-friendly city by bringing ‘lifetime neighbourhood’ design principles into planning rules for streets and homes, in consultation with relevant groups. This will include improved signage, reduced pavement clutter and more space for people to navigate our streets and access our city. We will:

► Invest in a wider network of well-lit, accessible, local cycle routes, inspected by a design review panel of experts on women’s cycling, so women feel safer cycling in London.

► Consult from the beginning with disabled people on all transport policies and plans that may affect them.

► We will improve awareness of TfL’s Travel Mentoring service for people that need help navigating London’s public transport networks.

► Provide funding to the London Access Forum to help make public transport, especially the Underground, accessible to more mobility-impaired people.

► Upgrade our bus fleet to include space for more wheelchair users to travel together.

► Dedicate funding to maintaining and improving pavements at crossings and at access points to public transport.

► Upgrade more of our transport network with step-free access and give priority to disabled and older passengers taking non-emergency taxi journeys.

► Support London’s valuable Black Taxis and their drivers by expanding fast charging points into outer London more quickly and making sure more dedicated rest and toilet facilities are provided in a network that provides for all drivers’ needs.

► Support, maintain and improve transport hire services for disabled people such as Dial-a-Ride.

► Design a new standard bus stop with better shelter and seating suitable for older and disabled people, as well as improved real-time bus information. The design will be greener, with solar power generation and bee-friendly plants.

Tackling the Climate Crisis

The trafic on London’s roads is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Recent extreme temperatures and storms threaten business as usual. We have to prepare now for climate change and limit climate damage caused by travel and freight.

Our plans target fair and just change to commuting and business. The rising cost of petrol based energy means this will save everyone money in the long run, but some people and small businesses need support to switch to sustainable transport. We will:

► Make London diesel free by 2028.

► Review with TfL how best to transition to a zero emissions bus feet by 2028 and follow by reviewing how best to modernise our trains.

Rob Blackie, Liberal Democrat

Instead we will aim for steady Transport for London funding - that allows us to partner with the national government to get the investment we need for long term improvements like new and improved tube lines, better buses and new cycle lanes.

We will make transport more accessible, and safe, in London by:

• Making more stations step free by 2030.

• Ensuring that the Old Oak Common station is fully step free with level boarding throughout.

• Running a trial to make buses hail-and-ride after 10pm, allowing you to flag down the next bus, even if you’re not at a stop, improving safety.

We will expand transport coverage in London by:

• Working to extend the London transport network wherever possible - underpinned by a responsible approach to Transport for London's finances, which will allow us to borrow responsibly and negotiate with national government for more support.

• Increasing the number of green river crossings in the East of London, including restoring the Woolwich Ferry to a full and reliable service.

• Working to bring the London Overground to Sutton and exploring extending the South East Overground to London Bridge.

• Expanding upon the Superloop scheme - particularly focused on reaching further into outer London boroughs.

• Launching a review into the quality of service offered by low-frequency bus routes, many of which fail to leave on time.

• Developing a new Transport Plan for Outer London – to speed up our transition to lower carbon transport.

• Keeping the current travel concessions including the 60+ card and the Freedom Pass and looking to extend their hours back to the 24 hours a day.

• Exploring the option of running “replacement” night buses on routes where there are no night tube services.

• Pressuring the government and working with the wider public and private sector to ensure HS2 goes to Euston.

• Campaigning to ensure that new rail timetables are focused on passenger needs rather than the interests of the rail operating company, particularly focused on reversing recent cuts to train services.

The reason for quoting the transport policies is for posterity, and to take note of their suggestions on improving public transport in London.

I am also aware of the Metro Mayoral elections in other areas of England, where they have powers to regulate bus services through franchising. It will be interesting to see bus service improvements being made in other parts of the UK, especially with the devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales.

The next stage is the first ever directly elected Mayor of Limerick in the Republic of Ireland, where the election is due to be held on 7th June 2024.

Why don't I like to get involved with politics?

I prefer to keep myself away from politics, especially controversial subjects, and I keep myself as impartial as I can, along with other campaign groups including Campaign for Better Transport, Bus Users UK, Confederation of Passenger Transport UK, etc. I'm not a member of a political party, and I won't go into full details on why I don't wish to get involved with politics. But I do have followers who are councillors, former Members of Parliament, London Assembly members, Greater London Authority, etc. that are involved with different political parties.

But overall, congratulations to the activists and the candidates, especially those that got elected.

But I would like to see a collaboration with the government and the local and regional authorities to help improve public transport, which includes the devolution of rail services.

Most importantly, the Members of Parliament, Lords, Civil Servants, Ministers, etc. depend on using TfL services in London. This is why it's important for transport improvements to be delivered to help improve the economy.

Why are elections important?

People depend on public transport services to travel to work, education, appointments, leisure, etc. especially the young, old, and disabled, which depend on travel concessions provided by the local authority. This is why public transport is an asset to the economy.

Not everyone is able to drive a car, especially the disabled and people who have been disqualified on medical grounds or criminal convictions who need to use public transport to travel. This also includes younger people, especially care leavers, where they can get discounted travel by TfL. In certain areas of England, care leavers get free local transport travel.

This is why it's important for people to go out and vote; they should also read the manifesto policies of each candidate on their plans to improve public transport and local services.

What if transport services in London are controlled by the government?

Here are some tweets I made when London Transport was under government control during the 1990s. This is after the abolition of the Greater London Council in 1986 (which lost control of LT in 1984) and before the Greater London Authority (including the Mayor) was created in 2000.

Without the concept of a strategic authority at the time, is quite unusual when local bus services in London get debated by a national legislature, especially by Members of Parliament where their constituency does not have any London Transport services.

I suggest that bus services and the rest of local public transport services should remain under local control. Thanks to the Bus Services Act 2017, we will be able to see more areas in England, especially Metro Mayors, along with Scotland and Wales (with their devolved legislation), taking control of their local bus services and bringing in accountability.

Which improvements do you suggest for public transport in London?

Over on Twitter/X, I have been posting my suggestions on how to improve public transport in London and beyond.

As for buses, there should be a new specification for a zero-emission bus type to make it more accessible, stylish, improved safety, and convenient for passengers, not just for London, this includes other areas of the UK, especially Metro Mayors where they have bus franchising powers. The reason is that bus services throughout the UK predominantly use single-door buses, which have longer dwell times at bus stops.

I'm not advocating for the reinstatement of the New Routemaster project, but I have researched through the consultation reports on the TfL website, which show a number of requests for New Routemasters and tram-style buses.

The New Routemaster may have been the most controversial project, as it was part of Conservative Mayor Boris Johnson's policy, which included the reinstatement of the open platform and conductor, which only served six routes until September 2016, when Labour Sadiq Khan got elected as Labour Mayor for London, and he ended the rollout of the New Routemasters at 1,000 vehicles.

There have been certain perks with the New Routemaster, such as the three-doors and two-staircases, which help improve passenger flows at bus stops, despite the fact that they are front-door only boarding for revenue collection and to reduce fare evasion. They can also be beneficial to wheelchair users as they board and exit using the middle door, while passengers can leave using the third door at the rear.

Transport for London and their predessors London Transport has been at the forefront of improving bus design, especially access for the disabled, the elderly and pushchairs with low-floor buses since the 1990s. I would like to see London standards for bus designs used throughout the UK and beyond.

Further suggestions

I have also posted multiple articles with my suggestions on improving public transport in London.

Why is Creativity in Public Transport Important, Including Bus Route Planning and Branding?

Suggestion: Transport for London Should Revive the Old Speedbus Proposal From the 1970s as Part of Phase 2 of the Superloop

Suggestion: London Passenger Transport Area Including London Country Buses Should Be Revived To Enhance Cross-Boundary Connections

Suggestion: I Believe It’s Time for a New Regional Transport Body for the South East of England? (This will require change to the legislation in Parliament).

I Believe TfL Should Reform The Travelcard Agreement To Offer Smart Flexible Ticketing Options

Making A Case For New Rapid Transit Lines (Including New Tram Lines) By Increasing Bus Priority Measures

I have noticed that some of the manifestos have taken my ideas to help improve accessibility. Hopefully, my ideas will inspire public officials to use them to help improve public transport.

I invite you to follow me on Twitter/X by searching for @CLondoner92 or by clicking on the direct link to my Twitter/X page here. I'm also on BlueSky and Mastodon.

Addendum

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