Jenny Jones has written to the Mayor of London asking him to make a firm commitment that bus and tube fares will not be used to finance the proposed new road across the Thames. The Mayor is consulting on the ‘principle’ of building a new road tunnel, next to the existing Blackwall Tunnel. When questioned about the financing of the project, the Mayor did not rule out tolls (including tolling the Blackwall Tunnel), or the use of fare revenue. The Mayor answered that:
"There are a number of potential funding mechanisms for the crossing and further work will be undertaken in conjunction with the Government on funding options."
The Mayor also disclosed that the £700m estimated bill for the tunnel excluded servicing debt payments or private financing costs.
Jenny Jones said:
"Drivers using the Blackwall Tunnel could well say ‘yes’ to the new tunnel, but might quickly change their minds if they find the Mayor is tolling them to pay for it. People using public transport may not be bothered about the new road, but might be very against it if they have to pay even higher fares. This consultation on the principle of building a new road at Silvertown is therefore a farce and the Mayor should shelve the whole thing until we know how much it costs and who will be paying."
