• Question by: Jenny Jones
• Meeting date: 17 October 2001

Thinking about funding for ways of reducing traffic, have you heard about the project developed in Perth in Australia, for quite a small amount of money? Households were asked about their travel plans and how they wanted to do it, and it resulted in a 14% drop in traffic because people were made aware of alternatives and other options. Had you heard about that?

• Question by: Jenny Jones
• Meeting date: 17 October 2001

We talked earlier about leadership, and this is an example. The Mayor and some Members of the GLA gave some leadership to Car Free Day, and it was incredibly successful. It is an example of how communities can respond when they have some political and financial leadership. Are you aware that the Government are pressing for Car Free Day to be moved to the nearest weekend, rather than to be on 22 September as it is in the rest of Europe?

• Question by: Jenny Jones
• Meeting date: 17 October 2001

I am glad about that. How big is that TfL fund?

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 17 October 2001

One suggestion, which happened to be in the Labour manifesto, was that we should tie this in some way to greater access to museums and make it into a day when people would enjoy travelling in to London - certainly it would be at a weekend - and get free access to places that ordinarily they might have to pay for. It could be a good way of investing to change people's habits. My other question is about Jenny's question rather than just Tower Bridge. The draft business plan for Transport for London suggests that you are going to cease...

• Question by: John Biggs
• Meeting date: 17 October 2001

John Biggs: That was a rather sad attempt at a soundbite. I went there as the representative of the Mayor of Tower Hamlets, who was unavailable that day. It was quite a pleasant affair, but I was alarmed to read that £100,000 had been budgeted for this. Brian Coleman: What? John Biggs: I would like your undertaking, Mr Mayor, that you will publish the accounts of Car Free Day. I agree with many people around this table that the principle of encouraging people to think of alternatives to their cars is very sound, but something which, as you have conceded...

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 17 October 2001

Is this not proof that you believe in government for the few and not the many?

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 17 October 2001

So you are telling us that you actually have no measure of whether this has been a success or not? In that case, why do it at all? Why not have it on 29 February? Then we would only have it once every four years.

• Question by: Roger Evans
• Meeting date: 17 October 2001

Bearing in mind that, as you say, it is not exactly a representative audience of Londoners who were there, how do you measure whether this has been a success rather than just a pleasant moment for some people to enjoy their extreme hobby together?

• Question by: Lynne Featherstone
• Meeting date: 17 October 2001

Yes, but that is the way people are feeling, so it is incumbent upon you - and upon us - to go out and lead that. Do you have the up-to-date statistics on job losses in the tourist industry, and are you asking the LDA to take a lead in ensuring that those Londoners whose jobs have gone will be re-skilled and guided into new employment?

• Question by: Lynne Featherstone
• Meeting date: 17 October 2001

That is good, because I think that some leadership is needed at this time. Significant falls have been reported in, for example, theatre ticket sales. What action do you think you can take personally to encourage audiences back into the theatres before they all go dark? It has been very impressive to watch Mayor Giuliani go out there: could you give leadership like that, saying as often as you can that we defeat terrorism by going to shows, living as normally as possible, coming to London to stay and to go out to eat? Where are you in all this...