London businesses have called on the next mayor to create a “smarter and greener” city with thousands more electric vehicle charging points and 5G super-fast wifi.
The call from the London Chamber of Commerce came ahead of it hosting the first mayoral hustings of the 2020 campaign on Thursday.
Transport for London admits that a “major expansion” in charging infrastructure is required and is concerned at the “convoluted ways to pay” and lack of clarity on value for money from different charging points.
There are about 350 rapid charging points in the capital.
But charges at Heathrow’s taxi park can exceed the cost of diesel, while it costs £45 to park at the TfL-funded charging points in the Olympic park for drivers who are not also using sports facilities at the Copper Box arena.
The chamber’s manifesto calls for deputy mayors for technology and innovation and for climate adaptation to be appointed, alongside a freight commissioner to champion electric vehicle deliveries.
