Coulsdon West Residents' Association

First ever London TravelWatch webinar offers plenty of food for thought

During the leadup to the Government’s announcement about the easing of the lockdown, London TravelWatch held a webinar Emerging from Lockdown to discuss possible ways to get London back moving in the best possible way as restrictions on travel are eased.

There was some really wide ranging discussion and we came away with plenty of ideas to consider as we continue to ensure that the transport network in the capital works for all those who need to use it.

We heard from the Deputy Mayor for Transport, Heidi Alexander about how TfL was planning for increased passenger numbers. She was clear that there will not be a return to business as usual anytime soon - 2 metre social distancing measures mean that Victoria line carriages can only accommodate 21 people rather than the usual 125. But she was adamant that one public health emergency cannot be replaced by another – the danger of increased car use would set back all the positive work being done to reduce air pollution and threaten all Londoners’ health. Her message was clear – people who can work from home must continue to do so and those travelling need to retime journeys and spread out the times of day they are travelling as well as re-planning journeys, using less busy routes. It was encouraging to hear that TfL are looking to widen pavements, encourage more walking and cycling and travelling in a more active way. Josef Schneider, Chair of the European Passenger Federation pointed to similar schemes in Brussels.