Decongestion rate

London’s congestion charge: the figures

A full year of stats confirms that the congestion charge is doing what it was meant to do - and more…. The headline figure? Congestion is down by 30% within the zone.

• Drivers who do venture in can get more of a move on; they spend up to one third less time stationary or crawling slowly in queues.
• 65,000 - 70,000 fewer trips are made each day inside the zone - that’s a 15% drop in traffic volume.
• So where have all these cars gone? Not surprisingly, some drivers divert round the zone, or make trips at different times. But it’s reckoned that 50-60% of them have opted for public transport instead.
• Buses work better. Bus speeds have improved by 6% overall within the zone, usership is up 38% and disruption to passengers’ journeys from traffic delays has fallen by 60%.
• Cleaner air and lower greenhouse gas emissions are welcome by-products: there has been a 12% reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions and ‘fine particles’ (not so good as they sound) floating around within the zone, and a 19% cut in CO2.

You might have thought ‘quieter’ air would be a spin off. But it’s reported that less roaring traffic hasn’t affected London’s ambient noise level. - Hannah Bullock

7 July 2004

Hannah Bullock