London’s Mayor has reignited calls for road user charging and said discounts could be offered for low emission or zero emission vehicles.

Boris Johnson’s proposal is contained in his new Transport Emissions Roadmap, which sets out policies aimed at tackling air quality issues in London by encouraging the uptake of lower emission vehicles.

In the document Mr Johnson points out that charging motorists at the point of road use would involve a rethink of vehicle excise duty and fuel tax and require central Government support in terms of funding and legislation.

RAC Foundation director Professor Stephen Glaister welcomed the Mayor's support for road charging. “For many years Boris Johnson refused to acknowledge the potential benefits of pay as you go road charging in London," he said. "But confronted with a surging population, concerns about air pollution and finite road space it is good the Mayor is now talking about it publicly."

The Mayor also proposes the introduction of emissions based vehicle charging in central London by 2020 as part of an Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) currently being developed.

Mr Johnson said: “In London we are doing everything in our power to address air quality. With the support of Government and the EU, we can accelerate the pace to meet legal limits for Nitrogen Dioxide and ensure Londoners live in a healthy, thriving environment.”

Other proposals made by Mr Johnson include the introduction of workplace parking levies (similar to that in Nottingham), more sophisticated use of London’s traffic light system to reduce congestion and related emissions and implementation of more rapid charging facilities for electric vehicles.

At an oral evidence session of the Parliamentary Environmental Audit Committee last week Mr Johnson said it was "a great shame" that the electric vehicle market has not development in the way it had been hoped.

He was quizzed by Labour MP Dr Alan Whitehead, who noted that five years ago the Mayor planned for 25,000 charging points to be introduced in London by 2015, but that so far only 1400 have been delivered.

Photo courtesy of Transport for London

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