Outer London boroughs make up over 60% of London’s total population, and with the Mayor keen to see a shift away from private car use, why do some outer London boroughs, such as Bexley and Kingston, have limited access to just two forms of public transport?
The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) is planned to expand across all London boroughs from 29 August 2023.
Public transport will play a pivotal role in London meeting its 2030 net zero target, with London needing to reduce its reliance on private cars and increase the use of alternative methods of transport to achieve this goal.[1]
However, on average, travel in outer London is characterised by:
- Higher levels of car ownership and more trips undertaken by residents by private car, than inner London[2]
- Lower public transport access levels than inner London[3]
- Lower proportions of active travel (walking or cycling) compared with inner London[4]
- Fewer orbital bus and rail routes than direct radial routes,[5] making travel into Central London often far quicker than making local trips by public transport[6]
The London Assembly Transport Committee will meet tomorrow for the first of a two-part investigation into outer London transport links, scrutinising the work of the Mayor and Transport for London (TfL) in relation to improving public transport for outer London residents.
Guests at the meeting include:
- Seb Dance, Deputy Mayor for Transport
- Geoff Hobbs, Director of Public Transport Service Planning, TfL
- Alex Smith, Head of Campaigns, London TravelWatch
- Josh Cottell, Head of Research, Centre for London
- Cllr Barry Lewis, London Borough of Sutton
- Neil Stubbings, Executive Director for Place, London Borough of Havering
- Madeleine Stewart, Policy and Public Affairs Lead, Transport for All
The meeting will take place on Thursday 13 July from 10am, in The Chamber, at City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, E16 1ZE.
Media and members of the public are invited to attend.
The meeting can also be viewed LIVE or later via webcast or YouTube.
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Notes to editors
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- Mayor of London, Mayor’s Transport Strategy, March 2018
- Centre for London, Moving with the Times: Supporting sustainable travel in outer London, 6 June 2023
- As defined by Transport for London’ PTAL: a measure which rates locations by distance from frequent public transport services, WebCAT planning tool.
- TfL, Travel in London Report 15, p.103
- Orbital services connect points in the periphery while bypassing the centre. Radial routes connect points in the centre with point in the periphery.
- TfL, Travel in London Report 15, p.92
- Full agenda papers.
- Caroline Pidgeon AM, Deputy Chair of the Transport Committee, is available for interview.
- Find out more about the work of the Transport Committee.
- As well as investigating issues that matter to Londoners, the London Assembly acts as a check and a balance on the Mayor.
For more information, please contact Tony Smyth in the Assembly Media Office on 07510 488715. For out of hours media enquiries please call 020 7983 4000 and ask for the Assembly duty press officer.