A Green Party Assembly Member has urged London's mayor to fund the Bakerloo line extension through a "smart" pay-per-mile scheme, arguing it would be fairer than the current flat-rate Congestion Charge. Benali Hamdache said the existing system for charging drivers was "not entirely fair" and that City Hall should reform it so that people making "non-work related" car journeys pay the most.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has repeatedly ruled out charging drivers for every mile they drive on the capital's roads, though Transport for London (TfL) has previously modelled the idea internally. However, Mr Hamdache's comments at a fringe event hosted by Central London Forward at Green Party Conference last week bring fresh pressure to fund the Bakerloo line extension, a major infrastructure project stalled by a shortfall in funding.
Looming crisis in transport funding
"There is a looming crisis in transport funding that none of us are really talking about," Mr Hamdache told the event. "Fuel duty, which has been frozen for too long because it's the politically easy thing to do, has not adequately funded the [public] transport that we need. But how might people who are driving pay their fair share for the transport improvements that this city needs to see?"
He claimed that "smart user-based charging" would both incentivise Londoners to drive less and ensure only those who opt for private car ownership pay for the project. This would be far more "fair" than the current flat-rate Congestion Charge for driving into central London, he said.
Exceptions for disabled people and work-related driving
Mr Hamdache said the Green Party would introduce exceptions for disabled people and those who need to use their cars for work. "The idea of a charging system that is proportionate, that asks people who drive the most for non-work-related reasons to contribute the most, would be a fresh approach to making sure that we actually have the money that London needs to be able to afford the transport that we need," he added.
He also noted that much of the needed technology is already in place, thanks to the installation of ULEZ cameras across the capital.
Mayor's stance and TfL's position
In 2023, Sir Sadiq admitted that the "government, TfL and transport officials around the country have been looking at the pay-per-mile concept for some time." He told the London Assembly: "TfL has been looking at new road charging options for the best part of two decades and it is completely normal for officers to plan for different scenarios including future mayoralties and government policies. As long as I am Mayor, we are not going to have pay-per-mile. What is important is to reassure Londoners - because they need the reassurance because we have the biggest clean air zone now in the world - that those goalposts are not going to be moved."
TfL says it is considering proposals to extend the Bakerloo line to Lewisham via the Old Kent Road and New Cross Gate. However, officials have said that a "viable funding package" is still needed to build the extension, and discussions with the government are ongoing.
