This paper reviews London's transport system, and discusses several ways of tackling London's problems of congestion and air pollution, by adopting corrective transport, planning, and fiscal policies, and by applying technical developments. People in London are especially concerned about pollution levels, because of possible effects on their health. In London, 76% of emissions of nitrogen oxides, and over 96% of emissions of carbon monoxide, smoke, and volatile compounds come from road transport. Technical developments include ways of reducing the harmful impact of emissions, developing more energy-efficient vehicles, and developing alternative fuel and power sources. Alternative fuels include synthetic petrol and diesel, methanol, ethanol, liquid petroleum gas (LPG), compressed natural gas (CNG), hydrogen, and electricity. Introduction of a vehicle licensing fee, related to engine size, would provide an incentive to use cars with smaller engines. Recent opinion surveys in the UK suggest that there is a growing acceptance of the principle of road pricing by residents of congested urban areas, especially when it is part of a package of transport policies. London has been noted for its lack of coordinated transport planning, and is still far from integrating land use with transport development.
Samenvatting