The introduction of congestion charging will see thousands of people who normally drive to work in central London ditch their cars and start walking to the office.
The £5 payment for driving into central London begins on February 17 and could mean 14,000 drivers, many of whom make a journey of less than 500m, will walk to work, said the Living Streets charity, which encourages walking in urban areas.
One in five drivers in the city make a trip of 500 metres or less by car every day, and most would save time by walking, said Philip Connolly, the charity's London manager.
"If a fair proportion of the revenue raised from the scheme is spent upon making the streets more accessible and secure then this is even more likely," he said.
About four million trips are made by pedestrians in London every day, with roughly the same number using public transport, Mr Connolly said.
Walking accounts for a third of all journeys in central London, Living Streets said.
The congestion charging scheme is the brainchild of London Mayor Ken Livingstone and aims to reduce congestion on roads in central London by at least 12 per cent.
January 28, 2003 13:30
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