Government rewards London for tackling congestion

Despite some criticism of mayor Boris Johnson's record on the environment, it appears that central government at least is pleased with the progress London has made to curb congestion.

The Department for Transport has announced that it is awarding Greater London £3.9m as part of the government's Urban Congestion Fund after the capital exceeded targets for tackling traffic problems.

Transport minister Paul Clark claimed the extra funding should be used to help London continue to tackle congestion, which should also have economic benefits.

"I am delighted that Greater London is being rewarded for beating its congestion targets. The money will help local authorities give road users in these areas faster, safer and more reliable journeys – benefitting the local economy," said Clark.

Aside from the obvious environmental impact of slow-moving traffic from exhaust emissions, congestion has serious consequences for the economy, according to the DFT. "Across England we have now provided nearly £23m to the participating authorities to tackle urban congestion which is responsible for 80 per cent of all our congestion problems," added Clark.

According to recently released transport statistics, in the London area, the average journey time fell by 5.1 per cent, while the average level of travel fell by 1.5 per cent.

The apparent drop in congestion in the capital follows recent criticism of mayor Johnson for his handling of traffic management in the capital after Transport for London admitted in a report that congestion in London's congestion charge zone was now as bad as it had been in February 2003 before the charge was introduced.

The return to pre-congestion charge levels was put down to a reduction in road space resulting from increased road works and more allocation of space to bikes and buses.

In a statement released last year, Friends of the Earth also criticised the mayor's environmental record for his first 100 days in office. The mayor initiated several measures that could have taken London in the "wrong direction ", including scrapping plans to introduce an emissions-related congestion charge for London and re-opening the public consultation on a western extension of the original charging zone, the group claimed.

But despite recognising London's progress on tackling congestion, the mayor's office and central government remain firmly divided on the issue of a third runway at Heathrow.

"The massive expansion in Heathrow's capacity would have an adverse impact on efforts to tackle climate change, it would increase aircraft noise, worsen road congestion and further reduce air quality in one of the most polluted parts of London," the mayor said in a recent statement.

According to the DFT, London is one of 10 urban areas across the UK sharing a total of £10.7m for beating congestion targets. The other areas are Nottingham, Leicester, Greater Manchester, West Midlands, Tyne & Wear, Merseyside, the west of England, West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire.

The £60m Urban Congestion Performance Fund was set up to help cities and towns in the UK tackle congestion. Further funds will be available over the next two years, provided the areas continue to exceed their target performance, the government claims.