Ken Livingstone has launched a campaign to encourage Londoners to walk, arguing this will improve health, reduce congestion and help combat climate change.
As part of the London Mayor’s climate change action plan, and launched in association with Transport for London (TFL), the initiative will be supported by £126million of investment aimed at improving conditions for pedestrians.
“London is a great city for walking and we are investing to make it even easier and safer,” Mr Livingstone said. “This campaign encourages people to think twice before using the car for short journeys. Walking offers a great way to travel as it is good for your health and helps reduce carbon emissions as we all try to prevent catastrophic climate change.”
London’s commuters are set to leave the car at home this Thursday (26th April) on the capital’s first ever ‘Walk to Work Day’. The event has been arranged after recent research by TFL indicated that half of all car journeys in outer London are less than two kilometres, requiring an average walking time of 25 minutes.
“Walking is the cleanest, greenest, healthiest, and most enjoyable way to get around our city,” said Jenny Jones, the Mayor’s green transport adviser. “Without Londoners’ 5.7 million daily foot journeys, London would not move at all. The more that we can do to encourage the best mode of transport there is, the better off all Londoners will be.”
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