• Question by: Jenny Jones
• Meeting date: 16 January 2002

You're suggesting, if that workshop comes up with some recommendations, then you would accept those recommendations?

• Question by: Jenny Jones
• Meeting date: 16 January 2002

There's also the fact that the Mayor's road safety strategy asks that the Met should specify what resources it's actually putting into road safety. That has not been done. Can you tell me why?

• Question by: Jenny Jones
• Meeting date: 16 January 2002

I take that point. Now, the Government has set targets for road safety. Do you think that the MPA can actually play its part in achieving those targets, if it doesn't actually set road safety as one of its formal priorities?

• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 16 January 2002

That's obviously what I meant. There are other things that you could do with the money that suits the area. The idea of the road river crossings is apparently to bring about regeneration in east London. Is that the best way of doing it? Do we not need an independent study looking at alternative ways forward of delivering regeneration in east London without building new roads which will lead to more traffic, more air pollution, and more congestion?

• Question by: Jenny Jones
• Meeting date: 16 January 2002

My next question isn't very fair but it's the third issue that's very close to my heart and that's road safety. The fact is that we greatly need a partnership between TfL, the boroughs and the police. At the moment TfL and the boroughs do seem to be putting in the necessary budget for it but the police are clearly not putting in the budget. In fact the budget figures for this year are less than in the 1980s and 1990s. It sounds to me as if we can anticipate a rise in road deaths this year and that would...

• Question by: Jenny Jones
• Meeting date: 16 January 2002

Does that mean that you are going to try to put more money into safe routes to schools?

• Question by: Jenny Jones
• Meeting date: 16 January 2002

My second question is on safe routes to schools because at the present rate with the present investment, it's going to take about 20 years to get a safe route to every school. In many north London boroughs it's actually the biggest cause of congestion at peak hours. It amounts to something like well over 50% of congestion. Now it seems to me that by making it a quite strategic project, you can actually solve your congestion problem at the same time that you're bringing in the charge.

• Question by: Jenny Jones
• Meeting date: 16 January 2002

I'm hoping that your traffic policing initiative is actually going to help with that as well because the drivers themselves actually said that the two biggest problems for them were congestion and assault. To get to my questions, Darren, Victor and I were absolutely delighted when you reinstated the money cycle network and I do want to thank you for that. However, it still means that the budget is only standing still and I'm very concerned that in future years it will be increased. If you multiplied it by four, you'd still only be paying the amount that you're putting...

• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 16 January 2002

It has been held up, particularly by the LDA, as a panacea for regeneration in east London. However, there's no real evidence to suggest that it will necessarily deliver the regeneration, as well as having an enormous amount of negative environmental impact. Would it not be better to commission an independent study to actually look at the alternatives to the road river crossings in terms of other issues around accessibility and in terms of other regeneration measures that could be taken as an alternative, so you could then really make an informed decision?

• Question by: Darren Johnson
• Meeting date: 16 January 2002

You mentioned the old, thorny issue of the road river crossings again. Is spending £5 million the best use of money on this?