Mayor of London urged to do 11 hour intervention and stop plans for a new four-lane road tunnel under the River Thames, opponents are said to exacerbate pollution and exacerbate the climate crisis.
tunneling equipment is on website on banks of Thames, and work on The £2bn Silvertown Tunnel start in coming weeks.
But the diagram has faced widespread opposition from local peoplepoliticians, climatologists and medical experts who say it will increase traffic and degrade public health in a little of the most disadvantaged areas in country. They are also tell him to block in high carbon transport for generations come.
Cian Berry, green party member on The London Assembly said it’s not too late for Sadiq Khan changed his mind.
“This is very last chance stop it and save the majority of in project expenses … if he stops tunneling machines now he can avoid Not only creating traffic and pollution around the world area of London, but also avoid spend money on a project what belongs in in last century”.
Simon Pirani, Honorary professor in university of Durham and dick of Stop Silvertown Tunnel campaign group agreed: “It’s not too late to cancel this project, which would be so destructive and exacerbate the local air pollution problems and undermine London’s efforts to meet its climate goals.”
The tunnel must be built near the existing Blackwall Tunnel in east London and will have four lanes of traffic – two in each direction. The Guardian revealed project could cost more than £2 billion over in next three decades if that happens.
Opponents privately admit the odds of stop tunneling at this stage is small, but it is said that fight is not over. Green next week party hold a meeting to ask for ideas that the tunnel could be used for – if built – instead of private fossil fuel transport.
Berry said Londoners are capable of coming up with a lot others options what could work out new rail and bus links with cycling and walking trails under the Thames. She said they might even want something completely different from a tunnel, such as art or music location.
“The mayor needs to hear us absolutely clearly if the tunneling starts, it’s not over yet of opposition to this project. This is a scheme that simply cannot be implemented.”
plans have faced opposition from the growing list of MPs and Councillors. Shadow climate change minister Matthew Pennycook, whose constituency in Greenwich and Woolwich will include one the end of tunnel, called on Khan cancel the plan. Lyn Brown, Labor MP for West Ham, where is the other end of the tunnel would be also called for it is to be written off.
At least eight Labor constituencies party groups put forward proposals against plans in recent months.
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Climate justice campaigners, pollution activists and key youth groups within Labor party also oppose the scheme and warn that if Khan does not reverse it, he and the Labor party may lose support of generation of young voters.
Khan’s administration repeatedly defended the scheme, arguing that river crossings needed to be improved. in East London, especially the Blackwall Tunnel, which are “outdated and worn”. outand say it will reduce pollution.
The representative stressed that the bus service across the river would use tunnel and added: “Both the Blackwall Tunnel and new The Silvertown Tunnel will be subject to a subscription fee, and when combined with mayor jumpsuit policy of decrease car use across Greater London in service of active as well as public transport options will be help reduce congestion without increasing the volume of traffic across the river.
