London ranks low in EU for clean, safe transport

London has been ranked as one of the worst capitals in Europe for environmentally friendly, cost efficient and safe public transport, a study has shown.
The study, commissioned by Greenpeace and undertaken by the Wuppertal Institute, conducted an extended research on 13 European cities, looking at factors such as public transport, road safety, air quality, mobility management and active mobility.
“Overall, London ranks 10th for sustainable urban mobility performance among the 13 cities analysed,” the report said, adding: “London ranks well in mobility management practices, average in public transportation, below average in active mobility, and poor in road safety and air quality.”
When looking at public transport, “London scores the 7th place” alongside Madrid. However, “the cost of public transport in London is 89 percent of the cost of daily food, making it the most expensive in the analysis”.
Regarding road safety, the report said “London ranks 12th in road safety or second most unsafe city to walk or bicycle”, further adding that “London had eight bicycle fatalities, third highest, and 61 pedestrian fatalities in 2016, the second highest in the analysis”.
Furthermore, London ranks 8th in terms of air quality and is tied with Rome, Berlin and Budapest.
Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, is considering introducing car-free days days in the capital in a bid to tackle the alarming rates of pollution and to curb carbon emissions rampant in the city.
The government has come under increasing criticism due to its lacking performance in tackling air pollution in the city. Earlier this week, the European Commission referred the U.K. to the European Court of Justice over its failure to meet EU limits regarding emissions of Nitrogen Dioxide.
City leaders and doctors have branded the government’s recent air quality plan as “woefully inadequate” and “inexcusable”, arguing that more needs to be done regarding the use of fuels such as diesel and petrol.