Ken Livingstone’s transport manifesto launched
- Greening and personalising the transport system
Download the full mainfesto here.
Ken Livingstone launched his transport manifesto for a new Mayoral term today with the message that the tasks for the next four years will be greater than even in the first two terms. The biggest job confronting the Mayor will be to successfully deliver the huge transport projects that are now underway in the city - including the £16 billion Crossrail, the £1 billion a year tube modernisation, and raising the standards of service and security on London's overground rail services, as well as continuing the improvement of the bus network. Big new steps will also be taken to `green' and personalise the transport system.
Mr Livingstone warned that if the very large projects went wrong they would be a financial as well as a transport disaster for London - and pointed to the huge £100 million a year error in Boris Johnson's transport manifesto to highlight the risks for London from incompetence in running the transport system.
He also set out manifesto commitments on a range of issues including leading the world with the introduction of a new fleet of hybrid powered buses, payment by mobile phone for Oyster cards, minute-by-minute bus information technology, fares concessions for older Londoners and students, and a revolution in cycle facilities.
Ken Livingstone said:
‘The biggest task confronting the Mayor over the next four years is to successfully deliver the huge transport projects that are now underway in London - because these are the key not only to moving around the city but to the entire finances of London.
‘Delivering the £16 billion Crossrail project successfully, carrying through the £1 billion a year tube modernisation, continuing the expansion and improvement of London's bus system seen in the last eight years and completing the upgrades and extensions to overground rail services, will transform London's public transport for the better.
‘If schemes like Crossrail, the bringing of local rail services under London's control with London Overground, Tube modernisation and the management of our buses go wrong they are so large they will create not only a transport but a financial disaster for London with huge rises in fares and business rates. This therefore matters to every Londoner.
‘I am running on my record of successfully delivering major improvements in London's transport system in the last eight years and on delivering the even bigger schemes to come.
‘As already shown in an incredible £100 million a year error in Boris Johnson's transport manifesto, there are risks not only of a transport but a financial disaster for London from incompetence in running the transport system.
‘One of the advantages of using public transport every day myself is that I see the transport system as Londoners experience it.
‘This is why throughout my life I have been committed to better public transport for Londoners, and why as mayor I have devoted so much of my time and energy to getting the transport improvements that Londoners expect.'
The Mayor's major tasks will be:
The massive £16 billion Crossrail project, adding 10 per cent to London's public transport capacity, and the biggest ever single increase in London's underground rail capacity;
London Underground will take over the contracts of the Metronet consortium and restructure them so they can deliver the track, train and signalling upgrades required along with station and security improvements;
A major rail service around North, East, South and West London: raising the standards and frequency of over-ground rail services in London starting with the new London Overground services - delivery by 2010 of the East London Line extension and by 2011 the opening of the connection of the East and North London lines with extra services and new high capacity trains on all routes as well as proposals to bring local rail services in south London under Transport for London's control;
Extensions and improvements to the Docklands Light Rail;
A £500 million investment programme that will deliver a revolution in cycling across London, with dedicated cycleways, a bicycle hire scheme and safer cycle zones;
Delivery of the transport improvements necessary for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games.
This level of investment and the delivery of new transport projects is of a different order even to the challenge we have tackled over the last eight years.
Alongside these huge projects will be a series of measures to green and personalise London's public transport system. These would include:
- Making a major investment in clean vehicle technology, by putting 500 hybrid buses - which cut CO2 emissions by up to 40 per cent - on London's roads by 2010, and with all new buses hybrids by 2012 at the latest;
- More hassle-free travel, with new technology to allow Oyster Pay As You Go top-up via mobile phones.
- a £25 CO2 charge for gas guzzlers driving into central London;
- Continue to radically reduce death and serious injuries on the roads with 20 mph zones around schools and on residential streets with the progressive replacement of speed humps by camera technology;
- Introduction of 4,000 satellite linked GPS Countdown signs to replace and greatly expand the old radio system and giving accurate second-by-second information at bus stops;
- Introduction of 24 hour operation of the Freedom Pass - giving older and disabled Londoners free travel before 9am and throughout the day;
- Extension of the student travel discount to Oyster One Day Travelcards;
- Maintenance of free travel for under-18s on the buses
- A new, hassle-free system for paying the congestion charge, so that drivers can choose to have payments automatically debited when they enter the charging zone, avoiding fines for simply forgetting to pay the charge;
- Enforcement of a compulsory permit scheme for road-works in London, for proper co-ordination and minimised disruption;
- A central London bike hire scheme with 6,000 bikes available every 300 metres and free to use for the first half hour;
- A network of new cycling corridors into central London, providing high quality, quick, safe routes to places large number of cyclists want to go;
- New safer Bike Zones around urban town centres with a clearly signed network of cycle-friendly routes, linking schools, stations, residential areas and workplaces;
- Expansion of the Safer Transport policing teams to keep up the pressure on crime on the transport system;
- Taking over control of Croydon Tramlink to improve frequency, and taking forward the extension of the tram to Crystal Palace;
- A dedicated transport system on Oxford Street;
- Major increase in support for door-to-door services for older and disabled Londoners: free fares on Dial-a-Ride and increases in Taxicard funding;
- A Veterans Card giving free travel on public transport including bus, tube, DLR and Croydon Tramlink to London residents who are injured veterans of the armed services;
Ken Livingstone said the environment and transport would go hand in hand.
He said:
‘London's transport policies will begin to be even more integrated with environmental policies and the most important long term issue confronting the world - climate change. A major new step forward, leading the world, will be large investment in clean vehicle technology, by putting five hundred hybrid buses - which cut CO2 emissions by up to forty per cent - on London's roads by 2010, with all new buses being hybrids by 2012 at the latest.
‘Introduction of a £25 a day charge for gas guzzlers entering the congestion charging zone, and free entry for very low polluting cars, will cut down on carbon emissions and raise a minimum of £30 million a year for public transport, and, in particular, cycling and walking.
‘In line with this the Mayor's job will also be to oversee a five hundred million pound investment programme that will deliver a revolution in cycling across London, with dedicated cycleways, a bicycle hire scheme and safer cycle zones.'
He said that the mayor also had to keep a focus on the needs of individual travellers and make sure that all Londoners could take part in London's success by gaining access to the transport system.
‘I will keep free travel for children, defend the Freedom Pass and extend it so that it can be used before 9am and enhance the student discount to Oyster One Day Travelcards.
‘Safety on public transport will continue to be improved with the expansion of the Safer Transport policing teams.
‘We will make getting around London more hassle free with a system of automatic debiting for the congestion charge, avoiding fines for simply forgetting to pay, as well as new technology to allow Oyster Pay As You Go top-up via mobile phones.'
He said that pressure to keep congestion down would continue.
‘A compulsory permit scheme for all road-works in London will be enforced so there is proper co-ordination and disruption is avoided. As Thames Water and other utility companies complete their large replacement works, together with the reduction in traffic already produced by the congestion charge, and accompanied by other measures to reduce traffic congestion in central London, there will be no let-up in pressure to reduce delays.'
He will also aim to sustain the radical reduction of deaths and serious injuries, especially of children, on London's roads over the last eight years with an expansion of 20 mph zones around schools and on residential streets.
‘We have made great progress in reducing the number of adults and children killed on London's roads over the last eight years and I am committed to sustained that progress using new camera technology to extend 20 mph zones around schools and on residential streets.'