Blackwall Tunnel should be tolled immediately or when construction of a nearby Thames crossing begins the London Assembly’s Transport Committee heard last week.

David Quarmby of the RAC Foundation told the committee that Transport for London should not wait until a second tunnel at Silvertown opens before charging drivers to use both the new crossing and Blackwall. “Road user charging has to be brought in at the time of construction so that people can see exactly what the toll is for,” he said.

Richard Bourn of the Campaign for Better Transport, who does not support construction of a new tunnel, went further. “A toll should be introduced at Blackwall without further ado,” he said. “You would see how much of the traffic is necessary and how much of it could travel by another means or use another route.”

Transport for London says road tolls will be needed to fund the Silvertown Tunnel and any new crossing of the river downstream at Gallions Reach. But John Dickie of business group London First argued: “London already pays very substantial amounts in tax so new infrastructure should be funded by the public purse.” 

The earliest that the Silvertown Tunnel could open is 2021 and is likely to cost £600M, according to TfL. But Mr Bourn asked: “Will tolling cover the costs which have doubled since 2009 and what will the project cost in another four years?”

TfL’s planning director Michele Dix told the committee that a new tunnel is needed at Silvertown to relieve congestion at Blackwall and to provide an alternative crossing when lorries become stuck in the existing tunnel and force its closure.

She added that a new ferry service at Gallions Reach could replace the Woolwich Ferry, “which is coming to the end of its natural life”. Alternative crossing options such as a tunnel at Gallions Reach are being considered.

A public consultation on options for new river crossings in east and South East London closes on Friday 1 February.

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