Commenting on the announcement that the Mayor is proposing to expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone to the whole of London for bus, coaches and lorries from October 2020, Caroline Pidgeon said:
“The Mayor is right to move closer to a comprehensive and expanded Ultra-Low Emission Zone.
“However, while these proposals are right we should not for one moment pretend that the Mayor is doing everything in his powers to tackle London’s toxic air. For the Mayor to peddle this claim is misleading in the extreme.
“The Mayor still backs an expensive Silvertown road tunnel, which will significantly increase road traffic and air pollution.
“The Mayor has failed to ensure that the current London Plan is properly enforced and that there are at least 20 per cent electric charging points in all parking facilities in new developments.
“The Mayor also has pitiful targets for introducing rapid charging points which are vital to support taxis, private hire vehicles and vans switching from diesel to being run on electricity. He is even missing his own derisory target of ensuring there are 75 rapid charging points in London by the end of the year.”