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Michael, agghh no this one (Good old copy and paste). Other cities in the UK and  Europe are now much more radical than London.Too many terms of Mayors just following on to a large extent. Priorities for transport and police need to change. Although I'm not convinced he can do either even if he had the budget he wanted.What the Mayor should do:1. Use public transport for all his work.2. Travel in one vehicle with his security if he has to use a car.3. Have a emergency plan for days when the pollution is extremely high as they do in Paris or at least an equivalent.4. Apologize for the completely failure of the ULEZ charging model and explain he has to change it now.5. Change the ULEZ charging structure to include all private vehicles. With a stepped rate linked to emissions and value of the vehicle.Rates would be phased in low to begin with but would go up each quarter.6. Bring in Work Place Parking Levies for all of London7. Reduce boarding time on buses by allowing both doors to be used.8. Sell the existing large dinosaur buses for smaller multi-door buses/shuttles.9. Re-evaluate the whole bus network10. Use ULEZ charge to finance free bicycles such as the Santander not worth nicking type (deposit still required).11. Work with gov to get standards approved for e-micro bikes, trikes and scooters etc and to have highway code updated12. Get police on the street to fine repeat offenders that break the highway code, cars, bike, scooters.13. Change the delay on most crossings assuming it hasn't been pressed within X minutes.14. Look at smart lanes i.e one way in the morning opposite way in the afternoon15. Improve junctions with better signalling, lanes and signs.

Ed Robinson ● 1242d

Perhaps there needs to be a phased approach given the need to do something urgently? An initial phase with an extended, integrated CC/ULEZ with the M25 as a boundary but with a more sophisticated charging algorithm? Then a second phase for implementing road pricing based on a national scheme? Blue badges could be associated either temporarily by day or permanently with a car's registration number using an app; or, once full road pricing was implements by the blue badge smartcard being recognised into a car's control system? Dispensations could also he given for trades people, doctors, nurses, etc.Some organisations I've worked with have pool cars (or vans) for staff to use for work visits so they don't have to commute by car. (Commuting by car is not a viable option for most working in the City unless you're a senior executive!) More use could be made of car sharing schemes overall. Ok, I know that's not going to work in all circumstances but were looking at reducing Venice traffic not eliminating it completely.However, that has to be coupled with affordable, efficient, frequent and safe public transport, and making the road environment more convenient and safe for pedestrians and cyclists. The solution must be inclusive; for example with provision for blue badge holders and full wheelchair access on public transport.The answer is not binary: cars versus no cars. It's about reducing pollution and a better balance between travel options. We also don't know how, post pandemic, travel patterns will change with perhaps more remote working from home or local hubs rather than the daily commute into a central office? Other benefits can be realised: one can study or work on a train (something difficult if not dangerous to do in a car - research shows even hands free phones are distracting); walking and cycling are good for one's health (if the air isn't polluted) to list two examples. Just some thoughts, some borrowed from others …

Michael Ixer ● 1242d