Sadiq Khan’s latest war on motorists has just | Tech News

Sadiq Khan just doesn’t know when to stop and the Mayor of London is at it again lining up his latest hammerblow on petrol, diesel and electric car homeowners. Low Traffic Neighbourhood schemes and raising Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) charges felt like the beginning of Khan’s actual assault on motorists. 

This was shortly adopted up with ULEZ surveillance cameras, the introduction of charges on the beforehand free Blackwall Tunnel and a rise in Congestion Charge charges. But Khan isn’t stopping there, with the Mayor eager to tear up the tarmac on one of London’s most iconic streets and shutting the door to street visitors for good. 

The plan is anticipated to value about £150million and work to change the road for good might begin as quickly because the second half of this 12 months. Mr Khan beforehand claimed the transfer would restore the world to its “former glory”, with the street becoming one of the “leading retail destinations in the world”.

The biggest blow to Khan’s mad vision is the Institute’s suggestion that the idea could actually “increase congestion” instead of cutting it. They warned that previous examples have shown that the impacts of diverting bus routes were stark. 

They argued that reduced accessibility and bus rationalisation tend to lead to a shift towards taxis or private hire vehicles, adding to the number of cars on the road. It means tourists, vulnerable road users and shoppers aren’t going to struggle with their shopping to walk down to the nearest Tube station. If they have the money to go on a shopping spree in central London, an Uber is hardly anything. 

The Institute has also warned of the risks around traffic displacement. Simply re-routing HGVs and buses onto smaller streets nearby could cause “safety, congestion and environmental problems”. 

The harder you make something, the less attractive it is going to be. There is a distinct possibility that shoppers will just turn away completely from Oxford Street and find somewhere else to do their shopping instead. The internet maybe? 

If visitors displacement builds up, the West End will turn out to be more congested in weeks, making it tougher for guests to succeed in theatres and different points of interest. Vehicles will nonetheless require some entry to Oxford Street so retailers can top-up on deliveries and for waste assortment. 

Sadiq Khan must stop this insanity now earlier than he does severe irreparable harm to 1 of London’s most important areas.