So Boris, what WILL you do for cleaner transport in London?

With his pledge to cancel the CO2 Charge and shrink the congestion charge zone, we challenge the new Mayor to keep up funding for other green transport initiatives.

A coalition of transport campaigners is asking London’s new mayor about his policies for greener transport in London.

Letters and postcards, headed ‘So Boris, what are you going to do for greener transport in London?’ highlight the lack of information on sustainable transport given by Boris Johnson during his election campaign.

They also point to a potential hole in London’s overall transport budget, which may jeopardise the future of a range of road safety, cycling and walking initiatives, which were begun by the mayor’s predecessor, Ken Livingstone.

Blake Ludwig, Managing Director of We Are Futureproof, which is providing a downloadable version of the letter, says:

“Along with other campaigners, I am very concerned that greener ways of getting around, such as cycling and walking, will suffer cuts in the future, and we are asking for some answers from Mayor Johnson.

“The main problem is that several of the policies he is committed to, including cancelling the £25 Congestion Charge for gas-guzzlers and discounts for cleaner cars, as well as cancelling the western extension of the C-Charge zone, will remove millions of pounds of revenue from Transport for London’s budget in the future.

“We want Boris to assure us that, despite cancelling these measures, he will guarantee funding for sustainable transport initiatives over the next four years. We also want to know what incentives he will be providing for people to drive cleaner cars in London, if the CO2 Charge is going to be cancelled, and what he will be doing for air quality and road safety.”

The letters and postcards are being delivered to City Hall by supporters of We Are Futureproof, the Campaign for Clean Air in London and Campaign for Better Transport. Green, Labour and LibDem councillors in London are also distributing the letters for supporters to sign up to the campaign.

The questions to Boris Johnson are:

1. What meaningful incentives will he provide for people to choose lower CO2 cars in London?

2. How will he now raise the money for London’s £50 million a year cycling budget?
(The CO2 Charge was going to provide this money )

3. How will he improve road safety for pedestrians and cyclists, particularly on the school run?
(Road collisions are a bigger danger to young people than gun and knife crime)

4. What will he do to make sure London’s air quality meets European legal standards by 2012?
(Many of the most deadly particulates come from private, diesel-powered vehicles)

Download a copy of the postcard here, or click on the image opposite.