Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures, so the Government’s bailout of TfL is to be welcomed. But it does highlight the risk of making London’s transport system so reliant on passenger fares. When these fall as drastically as they have since mid-March, the system cannot cope. It doesn’t have to be like this — New York and Paris support their transport systems with a range of taxes and tolls, as well as fare revenues.
So the Mayor is right to call for more control over local taxes to support the system — though he should also introduce a London-wide pay-per-mile road user charging system, which would help build a greener, healthier and less congested city.
Richard Brown, Deputy Director, Centre for London
Editor's reply
Dear Richard
London should have a single pay-to-drive scheme, not the mass of local zones that are springing up. An energetic mayor would have already brought one in. But you need to decide. Is your aim to stop people driving, in which case it won’t raise much money? Or to keep cars moving and raise cash? The congestion charge has helped pay for better buses but that’s largely because it hasn’t cut congestion very much. As for New York, its transit system is falling apart, trapped in political chaos. It’s a model — but one to avoid.
Julian Glover, Associate Editor
We’re in no state to do trade deals
The Government’s feeble excuse for the UK having the highest number of coronavirus deaths in Europe is that countries cannot be compared. Yet NHS and care homes deaths are both down to governmental incompetence. Now they plan on implementing Brexit and negotiating US and EU trade deals. We are in huge trouble, if their performance on Covid is any indication. I would not trust them with shopping in a supermarket, let alone a trade deal.
Andrew Milroy
