Mayor Of London To Miss 6 Out Of 13 Key Transport Targets

The Mayor and Transport for London are set to miss six out of 13 key transport targets set by Government, according to the Transport for London Business Plan revealed later today (Wednesday 27th October 2004).

In the TfL Business Plan 2005/6-2009/10 to be discussed at City Hall, Transport for London will show that by 2010, they will miss specific targets including: -

· Reducing congestion in London - it is set to increase by 8% from 2000 levels by 2010

· Cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 12.5% and CO2 emissions by 20% from 1990 levels to help Britain comply with the Kyoto Protocol

· Meeting National Air Quality strategy objectives for reducing the amounts of Nitrous Dioxide and Particulate Matter 10 in London's air

Commenting on the overall failure to hit the 6 out of 13 key targets, Liberal Democrat GLA Transport Spokesperson Lynne Featherstone said: -

"It will come as a bitter blow to many in the capital that the Mayor will miss targets that are critical to London, the UK and the rest of the world.

"For all the talk on reducing congestion, improving air quality and being a champion of the environment, the Mayor has failed to deliver real and vital improvements."

On the increases in congestion, Lynne Featherstone said:

"The increases in congestion will hit outer London hardest. The Mayor has ignored the chronic congestion in the suburbs and focused so heavily on inner London that he has forgotten the problems that blight those in the outer boroughs."

On the expected failure of London to hit Kyoto targets, Lynne Featherstone said: -

"With London the powerhouse of Britain's economy, the failure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will hit the UK's chances of meeting the Kyoto Protocol and reduce the threat of global warming."

On the expected missing of the Nitrogen Dioxide target, Lynne Featherstone said:

"High nitrogen dioxide levels can cause lung damage and increased respiratory infections in young children. Long-term exposure may lead to increases in asthma and may cause alterations in the lung.

"A mayor for Greater London must make sure that improvements in our quality of life happen across the whole of the capital and not just within the Zone 1. Mr Livingstone has given too much attention to reducing levels in the centre and has failed to tackle the pollution in the air London breathes."

ENDS

Notes

Table 9 on pages 35-36 of the TfL Business Plan 2005/06 - 2009/10 sets out the targets and the expected achievements of London:-

Description of target or indicator Change National Target Projection for London Pass/fail

Traffic congestion Change between 2000 and 2010 Awaiting shared delivery targets agreement 8% more congestion Fail

Local public transport (bus and light rail) usage Change between 2000 and 2010 12% 50% Pass

LU journey times Cut journey times over duration of plan Cut journey times over duration of plan 13% improvement Pass

Number of adults and children killed or seriously injured in road accidents Change between average for 1994-1998 and 2010 40% reduction for adults, and 50% reduction for children 40% reduction for adults, and 50% reduction for children Pass

Air quality Meet National Air Quality strategy objectives for carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, particulates, sulphur dioxide, benzene and 1,2-butadiene Various targets reductions in concentration Expected to meet targets for carbon monoxide, lead, sulphur dioxide, benzene, and 1,2 butadiene. Reductions in PM10 and NO2 but unlikely to meet target Fail

Greenhouse gases Change between 2000 and 2010 Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 12.5% from 1990 levels, and move towards a 20% reduction in CO2 by 2010 Unlikely to meet target Fail

Cycling trips Change between 2000 and 2010 No target in 2004 PSAs 72% increase Pass

Bus reliability Change between 2000 and 2010 99.5% of scheduled mileage, except where this is beyond their control Projected to meet 98.8% Fail

Bus fleet Change between 2000 and 2010 Reduce to average 8 years Projected to exceed target Pass

Bus accessibility Change between 2000 and 2010 50% of full size bus fleet to be fully accessible 100% of the bus fleet to be fully accessible by 2005 Pass

Maintain strategic road network Change between 2000 and 2010 Proportion of network in need of maintenance between 7% and 8% Substantial improvement Fail

Halt deterioration of local road network Change between 2000 and 2010 Halt deterioration by 2004 and end backlog by 2010 Substantial improvement Fail

Bus passenger information New target introduced in April 2002, specifically for information at bus stops Year on year improvements in information at bus stops Customer Satisfaction Survey information projected to rise from 75 in 2003/04 to 77 in 2009/10 Pass

Department for Transport targets can be found at:-

http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_about/documents/page/dft_about_023008-11.hcsp#TopOfPage