The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has stated that any new housing and office developments which will be near any public transport links should be car-free, with the only exception being for parking spaces for the disabled.
Khan’s move is part of a wider effort across the capital to cut down on the reliance of cars, with the Labour Party representative seeking to reduce the number of car journeys across London by three million a day.
The plan also calls for a doubling of cycling parking provision in a host of new developments, while the parking provided will need to support either electric or ultra-low emission vehicles as well.
Previously, Khan set out his draft transport strategy ambitions, which had plans to boost the number of trips made in London by cycling, on foot, or by using public transport to a whopping 80% by 2041, compared to the 64% the figures are at now.
According to the mayor’s office, this will mean an average of three million fewer car journeys a day.
Speaking about his plans, Khan slammed how our infrastructure dictates that it must be built around a car, while stressing the need for safe cycling across the entire of London.
Khan said: “For too long our housing and infrastructure has been built solely around the car,” Khan said. “If you buy or rent a home in London and make regular journeys to the work or shops, I want to see safe and secure cycle parking available for every journey, across all parts of the city.
“For too long our housing and infrastructure has been built solely around the car.”
Khan’s plans have been met with friction by Andrew Boff, a Conservative member of the London Assembly, who implied that Khan is out of touch and short-sighted.
“Car-free developments may work in Zone 1, but the mayor clearly has no idea what it’s like living in outer London,” Boff said.London mayor Sadiq Khan wants new housing developments near transport links to be car free
