Nickie Aiken, Member of Parliament for the Cities of London & Westminster, has written to the Mayor of London urging him to listen to local concerns about temporary road changes made by Transport for London (TfL).
To prepare for workers’ return, TfL has been making changes to road layouts to accommodate people choosing to cycle rather than use public transport, including temporary cycle paths on Park Lane, Grosvenor Road and Edgware Road. These changes have caused unnecessary congestion which many local people fear, will have an adverse effect on air quality.
On their concerns Nickie commented, “It is right that TfL is encouraging more people to walk or cycle rather than use public transport. As a member of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Cycling & Walking I'm an enthusiastic backer of both. The individual health and clean air benefits for us all are obvious but in too many places TfL’s measures are causing congestion and adverse effects on air quality.
“I fully support the Mayor’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) and its planned extension. The majority of car journeys in the Two Cities are not made local people. They are travelling through, ruining our air quality. We need better traffic flow for vehicles to limit engine idling. As leader of Westminster City Council launched the #DontBeIdle campaign to tackle engine idling head on.
“I completely understand local people’s concerns and have written to the Mayor of London encouraging him to engage with them. I am sure, together, a way forward can be found that reduces congestion while making cycling and walking as safe on London’s roads as possible.”
You can read Nickie's letter to the Mayor here.
