Plans have been put forward that could see roads made smaller to benefit pedestrians, as well as banning advertising of larger, polluting SUVs.
Caroline Russell, the London Assembly Member for Londonwide, has called for several new changes to be introduced to improve road safety across the capital.
A new report – Changing the narrative: Ending the acceptance of road death in London – contains fresh recommendations for Transport for London’s (TfL) Vision Zero Action Plan 2.
The plan, which is expected to be published later this year, follows on from the original Action Plan outlined by Mayor Sadiq Khan and TfL in 2018.
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Sadiq Khan and TfL are being urged to consider new driving plans to improve road safety
London’s Vision Zero goals set out that no one should be killed in or by a London bus by the end of the decade, with all deaths and serious injuries from road collisions being eliminated across the capital by 2041.
Russell’s new report looks at the “widespread acceptance of cars dominating our public realm” and how road safety can play a central role in planning going forward.
The Green Party politician, who has been a walking and cycling campaigner since joining the Assembly in 2016, said: “Collisions, never ‘accidents’, happen daily. They happen when people make mistakes.
“The problem is that when a driver loses control at the wheel through fatigue, distraction or even recklessness, people walking, crossing the road or travelling on a bike or in another vehicle can be harmed.
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Plans to pedestrianise Oxford Street could come into effect on January 1, 2026
“At a time when practical measures to reduce danger are all too often framed as ‘anti-driver’ rather than as helpful interventions to ensure everyone gets home safely from work or school or a trip to the shops, TfL must address the polarisation of debate about measures to reduce danger on our streets.”
The report states that society needs to address “motornormativity”, in addition to calling for TfL to speak with victims and bereaved families to inform future policies.
The Vision Zero Action Plan 2 should also look to reduce traffic volume, Russell noted, which could include reallocating main road private motor traffic capacity.
It also backs the increasing use of pedestrianisation schemes, with the report highlighting Oxford Street.
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This would include a network of safe, accessible cycling routes across the city, comparing the UK capital to the French capital of France.
The report also outlines that TfL needs to see a 64 per cent reduction in the number of people killed and seriously injured by 2030 to hit targets.
Another recommendation states that TfL should review the timings of the Central Congestion Charging Zone to operate in the evenings again, as well as increasing charges, and introducing mitigation for small and medium enterprises and key workers.
The sixth recommendation of 25 in total is for TfL to work with London boroughs to discourage people from driving heavier and larger cars with a city-wide weight-based parking surcharge for on-street parking.
X/CHRISGPACKHAM | Chris Packham with a Badvertising campaign calling for fossil fuel adverts to be banned It also supports a public awareness campaign to alert Londoners to the harm larger vehicles pose, especially as SUVs become more popular among drivers.
Similarly, a “tobacco-style” ban on SUV advertising should apply to the TfL advertising estate. This would also include hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric SUVs.
Cities around the world have already banned advertising of SUVs and other fossil-fuel-powered vehicles, including the Scottish capital of Edinburgh.
The ban was rolled out because “the promotion of high-carbon products is incompatible with net zero objectives”, while other ads from the aviation sector, fossil fuel companies and cruise holidays are also outlawed.
