The biggest single reason that air pollution in London has increased hugely in the past nineteen years is that the road system has been substantially altered to make driving as difficult and as frustrating for motorists as possible. The result has been that vehicle journeys take far longer than previously and consequently vehicle engines are running for longer than previously.

TfL has frequently boasted that the number of cars in central London is lower than it was before the implementation of the Central London Supplementary Road Tax (AKA the congestion charge) That by itself, everything else being equal, should have led to a marked reduction in air pollution. Add to the equation the introduction of hybrid and all-electric vehicles, and London ought to be enjoying far cleaner air than before we had a Mayor.

It should never be forgotten that since the clean air legislation of the 1950s, London, in common with the rest of the country, enjoyed ever reducing levels of air pollution until that dreadful day when a Mayor was foisted upon us.

The easiest way to reduce air pollution in London is to put the roads back the way they were nineteen years ago.

In message , at 10:05:06 on Sat, 9 Jun
2018, John Williamson remarked:

One minor London delivery that I've noticed is from a fish supplier in
Cornwall who run a daily delivery to London restaurants. This company
now needs to replace their van 5 years before its normal end of life.

That's a prime candidate for bringing back something like Red Star
parcels, and then using an electric delivery van from Paddington.
--
Roland Perry

I've received the latest Waltham Forest Council propaganda leaflet, and this one has on its front page some puff about how the Council is taking steps to reduce air pollution. Page 2 has an essay from the Council Leader which begins: "London's toxic air is a catastrophic public health crisis and it gets worse every single day."

This same Council has recently forced me to drive further - and thereby generate more air pollution - by closing two roads in our neighbourhood and forcing local motorists onto Leyton High Road even if they wish to go in the opposite direction.

Most people recognise that "spin" and barefaced lies are now a central characteristic of modern Government at both local and national level. I've just received an email from TfL which, I think, takes the biscuit. One part reads as follows:

"London’s Congestion Charge, when it was first introduced in 2003, was a huge success. There was a 15 per cent reduction in traffic in the Congestion Charge zone, which led to a 30 per cent reduction in congestion, as well as improvements in air quality."

I used to drive every day in Central London during that period so I had a front seat view. The truth is that from the moment Livingstone and his henchmen got in, they deliberately created congestion by a variety of anti-social tricks, one of which was re-phasing traffic lights. When the congestion charge was introduced, many of the traffic lights were returned to their previous phasing with the inevitable result that traffic flowed more smoothly. The pathologically dishonest Livingstone claimed the improvement was caused by the new charge reducing traffic volumes. Sadly, large numbers of gullible people were taken in.

Within a few weeks the traffic lights were returned again to TfL's anti-social phasing and congestion returned despite the much-heralded reduction in vehicles. The supposed 30% reduction was very short lived. I'm also sceptical that the Congestion Charge did reduce traffic levels by as much as 15% because most of the traffic in London was not liable for the charge.

The deliberate creation of congestion has continued ever since with the results many people now acknowledge. The Charley Brown roundabout is due to be sabotaged in the next few weeks.

I find the gall and insolence of TfL claiming that their policies have reduced air pollution in London appalling even by today's low standards.

Hackney Council have introduced their own part-time
clean air zone in the Shoreditch area:

https://www.hackney.gov.uk/ulev-streets

I imagine that this might genuinely reduce air pollution
by a small amount.