Caroline Russell, the Green Party’s national transport spokesperson and No 2 candidate for the London Assembly, has given a qualified welcome to this morning’s recommendation by the National Infrastructure Commission that the government should push on with Crossrail 2.
“We are very much in favour of any commitment to fund development of Crossrail 2. As London continues to grow and car-related air pollution worsens, long-term investment in major public transport infrastructure is the only sensible way forward,” she said.
“But London already has the most expensive public transport in Europe. The next Mayor, whoever it is, should negotiate hard to make sure London’s public transport doesn’t become even more expensive if Londoners have to foot half the bill for the project. It’s now essential that we introduce pay-as-you-drive road pricing so that car drivers contribute properly to the cost of keeping the city moving.
“It’s also important that parliamentary time is allowed for the relevant powers to be granted as quickly as possible so that this significant new branch of our transport system will be up and running by the early 2030s – by which time our need for it will be acute.”