A senior Green politician has called for London's motorists to help fund the long-delayed Bakerloo Line extension through a pay-per-mile charging scheme, reviving a debate Sir Sadiq Khan has repeatedly tried to shut down.
Benali Hamdache, a Green Party London Assembly member, argued that City Hall needs a new approach to funding major transport investment and said a form of "smart user-based charging" could provide money for schemes such as the proposed extension of the Bakerloo Line to Lewisham.
Funding challenge
The proposal comes as Transport for London continues to search for a viable funding package for the project, which has been championed by politicians and businesses in south-east London for years but remains stuck on the drawing board because of financial constraints.
Speaking at a fringe event at the Green Party conference, Mr Hamdache warned of what he described as a looming transport funding challenge.
"There is a looming crisis in transport funding that none of us are really talking about," he said.
"Fuel duty, which has been frozen for too long because it's the politically easy thing to do, has not adequately funded the transport that we need."
Charging proposal
He argued that drivers making non-essential journeys should contribute more towards the cost of improving London's transport network, while exemptions should remain for disabled motorists and people who rely on 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," he added.
Mr Hamdache said a future charging scheme could build on infrastructure already in place through London's extensive network of traffic and ULEZ cameras.
Political reaction
The intervention is likely to prove controversial given the political backlash generated by previous debates around road charging and the expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone.
Sir Sadiq has consistently rejected suggestions that Londoners could face a pay-per-mile charge while he remains Mayor. In 2023, he said transport officials routinely examine different options for the future but insisted: "As long as I am Mayor, we are not going to have pay-per-mile."
The comments are nevertheless likely to fuel fresh discussion about how major transport projects should be funded as pressures grow on London's transport network.
Mr Hamdache has emerged as one of the Greens' most prominent voices at City Hall in recent months, also calling for greater devolution of powers to London and backing the use of new technology to improve public services and transport infrastructure.
TfL is continuing discussions with ministers and local authorities over the proposed Bakerloo Line extension, but officials have repeatedly stressed that a funding package remains essential before construction can begin.
