Responding to the Mayor’s statement that the government does not plan to give London a share of Vehicle Excise Duty garnered from the creation of a major road network under the Transport Investment Strategy, Labour’s London Assembly Transport Spokesperson, Tom Copley AM, said:
“We often hear complaints from the rest of the county that London receives too much transport funding - yet London drivers subsidise roads outside the capital to the tune of £500 million a year.
“It’s absurd that almost all of the £500 million raised by London registered vehicles goes back into the system elsewhere, despite the fact Londoners make 90% of their journeys on London’s roads. This is incredibly unfair.
“I’m reassured to hear the Mayor and the Transport Commissioner are making the case for a fairer deal with Ministers. It falls to the government to recognise the strength of their case and begin giving the capital its long overdue fair share.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
- VED raised by London-registered vehicles (around £500m) will almost all be spent on roads outside the capital despite the fact that 90 per cent of Londoners’ journeys take place entirely on London’s roads);
- Tom Copley questioned the Mayor at today’s Mayor’s Question Time. A webcast can be found here;
- Tom Copley is a Londonwide Assembly Member