London mayor wants daily driving charge to meet climate targets

IN order to hit climate targets, the mayor of London wants to charge daily fee as small as £2 from drivers.

BBC reports Sadiq Khan wants to push this move under road pricing proposal, which he feels would encourage people to use public transport, walking, cycling and electric vehicles.

When RAC is calling this move as "poorly timed", Khan says for a longer term he intends to introduce pay-per-mile system.

The plan is likely to be implemented in 2024 after Transport for London (TfL) and the mayor have made public consultation.

Moreover, according to the BBC report, Khan intends to widen the charging zone by considering a plan to collect fees from drivers coming to the capital.

A report commissioned by City Hall says 27 per cent reduction in car traffic in London can only enable the city to meet the 2030 net-zero goals. It also added that London could face severe impacts of climate change in the future like last year's flash floods.

Khan doesn't "want to stand and wait" when more can be done for London.

"We have too often seen measures to tackle air pollution and the climate emergency delayed around the world because it's viewed as being too hard or politically inconvenient, but I'm not willing to put off action we have the ability to implement here in London," Khan was quoted as saying.