Construction of one or more road tunnels beneath central London should be taken forward to ease congestion, an influential sector commentator has said.

Addressing the London Assembly Transport Committee last week, AA president Edmund King said an east-west tunnel from the A12 to the A40, and one from the A13 to the A4, could help to solve the city’s traffic problems.

His call comes after former mayor Boris Johnson asked Transport for London (TfL) to undertake a detailed feasibility study into these tunnel proposals earlier this year.

It is estimated that the tunnels could reduce congestion by up to 20% in central London while attracting investment, improving air quality and creating new space for sustainable transport.

“Paris, Boston and a range of other world cities have had success by putting a lot of their traffic in tunnels. But it’s something we’ve not looked seriously at here in London,” Edmund King told the committee.

“The tunnels would work,” added London Cab Drivers Club chairman Grant Davis, who said gridlock on the capital’s streets threatens to “destroy” the taxi trade. “We could do with a couple of big tunnels and some more river crossings. That would really help London.”

TfL estimates that over the next 15 years congestion will increase by 60% in central London and 15% in outer London.

But Dr Rachel Aldred of the University of Westminster cautioned against new road infrastructure. “There is plenty of evidence that building new roads will only lead to more motor vehicles and increased congestion,” she said.

“Instead we need to increase our people carrying capacity by delivering more river crossings for walking and cycling and providing additional capacity for public transport.”

Professor Stephen Glaister of Imperial College London told the committee that “London is not going to get big new infrastructure unless it tolls it”, adding that traffic growth should be mitigated by some sort of price incentive.

However he suggested that motorists should not pay to travel on specific pieces of infrastructure. Instead, he told the committee, they should be charged based on their use of the wider network.

Introducing road user charges that are “intelligent, moderate and appropriate” would reduce congestion while generating revenue for infrastructure improvements, he said.

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