Transport: A Comparison of Mayor of London Candidate Manifestos
The London mayoral election is coming up on the 6th of May. We here at The Youth Vote UK have decided to group together policy areas so you can easily compare the candidate’s stances on each specific issue. This post will look at transport.
Luisa Porritt (Liberal Democrat) ‘Luisa Porritt for London’: Transport
Liberal Democrats are currently calling on the government and Transport for London (TfL) to reinstate free travel for under-18s.
If elected Mayor, Porritt is likely to call on the government and TfL to reconsider scrapping free travel for young people, arguing young Londoners need free travel to get to and from school in an environmentally responsible way.
As Liberal Democrats are currently focusing on reinstating free bus travel for young people, Porritt is likely to spearhead this campaign if elected Mayor. Travel is pricey in the capital and this is a key issue to begin with focusing on in terms of transport plans, allowing young people to move more freely about the city.
Sadiq Khan (Labour) ‘Standing Up for London’: Making Commuting More Affordable
Frozen TfL fares
Pause on ticket costs
Frozen for four years
Introduced the unlimited Hopper bus fare
The Hopper fare gives unlimited journeys for £1.50, made within one hour of touching in
Opened the Night Tube
Runs on Fridays and Saturdays on the Victoria, Jubilee, and most of the Central, Northern and Piccadilly lines
Was originally promised by Sadiq Khan’s predecessor, and now Prime Minister, Boris Johnson
Sadiq Khan has tried to combat the issue of the high living cost in London by making public transport more affordable. His other aim is to encourage people to use public transport to tackle climate change and air pollution.
57% of Londoners 16–24 say the biggest barrier to public transport is cost. Freezing TfL fares and the introduction of the unlimited Hopper bus fare aims to tackle this.
Brian Rose (Independent) ‘Transform London 2021’: Transport First
Efficient transport is essential to ensure London’s economy remains strong.
Ensure Transport For London (TfL) is managed in a fiscally responsible way - avoid future government bailouts.
Build a transportation system that will:
lead the world in technology, customer experience, and environmentally friendly practices.
Use the “innovation, expertise, and accountability” of the private sector to achieve this, alongside the long-term planning of the public sector.
Freeze fare increases for children and vulnerable groups.
Abolish restricted access for taxis to major carriageways, remove pedestrian social distancing barricades and propose mixed use zones instead of empty cycle lanes, to allow the traffic of both cars and bicycles.
Efficient, smooth and affordable transport is certainly a key issue for Londoners, to ensure people can get around the city easily. Freezing fare prices for children and vulnerable groups will be a popular policy for many voters, in a city where costs can be extremely high.
Farah London (Independent) ‘Bring London Back’: The London of a World-Class Public Transport
Secure funding from government
Generate income from a state-of-the-art advertising platform across our transport system
Reduce congestion charge from £15 to £12 and 5 days a week, introduce short stay tariffs
Make London the best city to own electric vehicles
Continue to support iconic black cab trade
Farah London focuses on those who own cars with policies such as dropping the congestion charge from £15 to £12 and making London the best city to own electric cars. Only 30% of 16–24-year-olds have a full driving licence in London making some of these policies potentially less relevant for young people. Nonetheless, the overall aim is to increase funding for TfL which may allow for lower ticket prices and thus allow young people to increase their use of public transport.
David Kurten (Independent) ‘#MakeLondonGreatAgain’: Unblock London’s Roads
End the war on motorists
Support our black cabs
David says if he was to become Mayor, he would unblock London’s roads by discontinuing cycle superhighways on trunk routes, end road blockages between neighbourhoods and unblock the Embankment.
He would also continue to build the Silvertown Tunnel which would link Silvertown to the Greenwich Peninsula in East London. According to TfL, construction is due to start in 2021 with completion in 2025 and would reduce congestion at the Blackwall Tunnel and the road wider network.
To ‘end the war on motorists’ David would not expand the Ultra-Low Emission Zone, nor would he increase charges in the Low Emission Zone. he would also abolish pay-as-you-go road pricing.
To support Black Cabs, David would bring back Euro 6 diesel taxis as opposed to the new electric taxis and keep the 15-year taxi licence. Considering young people are increasingly more worried about climate change, reintroducing diesel taxis is unlikely to be a favourable policy of the youth of London. He would also introduce the initiative ‘where buses go, taxis go.’
Dr Peter Gammon (UKIP) ‘Peter’s 6 Key Policies for A Better, Safer, London For All’: An Efficient London
Scrap Congestion Charges
Make TfL financially viable & cut ‘fat cat’ salaries
Remove hated bicycle lanes
Re-open roads khan closed & get London Moving Again
Utilise unused underground tunnels for safe walkways, cycle lanes & the world first citywide pod system
Support London’s black cabs
He argues that some TfL staff are paid too much with some being on 50k or even 100k+ salaries and thinks that these ‘fat cat’ salaries need to be scrapped.
Another key policy of his is to scrap cycle lanes. He thinks that Khan’s attempt to reduce CO2 emissions by encouraging walking and cycling has in fact increased CO2 emissions as now car journeys have become longer. Not only are these cycle lanes causing more congestion, but they are also hardly used according to Gammons. He thinks it is elitist to tell people who can’t afford electric cars that they have to walk or cycle. Instead, he wants to use unused underground tunnels for safe walkways and cycle lanes.
Making transport affordable is a key issue for young people with cost being one of the main barriers for increased usage. Peter Gammons thinks that the environmentally friendly solutions that have previously been suggested are unfair on poorer people.
Shuan Bailey (Conservative) ‘Shaun’s Plan for London’: Make London Move
Work with government to secure investment in Transport for London (TfL) and ‘fix its finances’
Improve infrastructure, like Crossrail and electric bus fleet
Reverse congestion charge increases on day one
The London congestion charge is a fee (£15) charged on most cars and motor vehicles being driven within the Congestion Charge Zone (CCZ)
Charge was increased from £11.50 to £15 on the 22nd of June
Pause rollout of temporary cycle lanes
Back plans for a temporary crossing next to Hammersmith Bridge (which has been closed since August 2020)
Shaun Bailey believes he has an advantage as a Conservative candidate with a Conservative government in power to try and receive investment for TfL. By making TfL less reliant on fare income, it could maintain or reduce travel costs for young Londoners.
Climate change and air pollution is also a pressing topic for young Londoners. By pausing the rollout of temporary cycle lanes and building a temporary crossing next to Hammersmith Bridge, Bailey says it would reduce journey distance and traffic which should cut pollution.
Rosalind Readhead ‘A Manifesto for a Climate and Ecological Emergency’: Transport
Ban Private Cars (except for blue badge) and remove all on street parking
The creation of a dense and segregated cycle network
Free accesses to bicycles for Londoners
Car-free Fridays
Ban automation in motor vehicles
Stop HS2
Halt all expansion of London Airports
Reduce emissions from road transport down to net zero by 2025
Rosalind’s transport policy is based around the reduction of CO2 in London as well as taking back London’s streets for pedestrians and cyclists. Rosalind sees new and even electric cars as part of the problem as there is a lot of CO2 produced in their production. Instead, her transport policy focuses on a rapid and radical adjustment of London’s streets to accommodate mass bicycle and green public transport usage. Furthermore, the expansion of green spaces will encourage Londoners to take up a car-free low carbon lifestyle. Rosalind has also promoted an ambitious target to reach by 2025, which is to reduce the CO2 produced by London, this would require rapid change and action, but Rosalind believes it is the only way to protect the environment. Transport is a central focus of her manifesto as it is one of the largest contributors to CO2 emissions in London.
The Policy and News Analysis Team