The Mayor of London is considering running more car-free days in the capital to tackle air quality issues.

London could get more car-free days as part of plans to enhance air quality

Although there are already a number of car-restricted days in London for annual events, a spokesperson for the Mayor said he has asked City Hall officials to consider additional opportunities for car-free activities as part of his Healthy Streets vision – this includes consulting with boroughs. This could also see a more extensive approach adopted in 2019.

The spokesperson added: “The Mayor is determined to do everything in his power to protect the health of Londoners and prioritise walking, cycling and public transport and reduce Londoners’ dependency on polluting cars.”

Measures already adopted by the Mayor to improve air quality include the introduction last year of the T-Charge in central London, which will be replaced by the Ultra-Low Emission Zone in 2019 – 17 months earlier than originally planned – before being expanded to the North and South Circular roads in 2021 under current proposals.

The Mayor also announced last week that London could get its first electric vehicle only ‘Zero Emission Zones’ by 2020.