London mayor Ken Livingstone's new transport plans will neither cut congestion nor drive down CO2.
So says the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), which is now calling for an extension to the mayor's consultation on proposed changes to the congestion charge.
In an initial response to Transport for London (TfL), the motor industry body has made clear that current proposals will neither significantly cut CO2 nor reduce congestion in the capital and that, given the complexity of the scheme, more time is needed for discussion.
TfL's own figures claim a CO2 saving of up to 8,100 tonnes under the plan to base central London charges on car CO2 emissions.
That compares to total ground-based transport emissions in London of 9.7 million tonnes.
In other words, the maximum benefit for the capital would be a CO2 reduction of just 0.084 per cent.
To put this in context, improvements at UK car and commercial vehicle manufacturing sites have cut CO2 from 2.14 to 1.36 million tonnes in just four years, a saving of 36.5 per cent.
Average new car CO2 emissions have also come down by 12 per cent in a decade, saving an estimated one million tonnes of CO2 each year in the UK.1
Concerns about environmental improvements come after an independent report suggested that changes could encourage between 4-10,000 additional cars onto central London roads.
That means more congestion and delays for drivers within the zone, as well as minimal benefit for the environment, if the plans proceed.
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