Row looms over Mayor Livingstone scrapping Blackwall Tunnel rush-hour contra-flow after 29 years

24 April 2007

A ROW is looming over London mayor Ken Livingstone scrapping the rush-hour contra-flow traffic system in the congested Blackwall Tunnel without public consultation.

Letters have been pouring into the Advertiser after we broke the news last week on our front page and our website.

Angry motorists across London, Kent and Essex who use the busy Thames crossing were furious at the sudden decision to revert from three to two northbound lanes during the morning peak-hour.

Now the capital's local authority lobby organisation, London Councils, has called on Transport for London to explain why it failed to consult the boroughs before suddenly ending the scheme after 29 years-with 24 hours notice.

Drivers travelling north towards Docklands and the East End have been able to use three of the tunnel's four lanes since 1978.

Now that has been scrapped, in what many commuters and motoring lobby groups say is a deliberate attempt to cause massive congestion to 'justify' a new Congestion charge zone around Blackwall Tunnel and Greenwich.

Transport for London insisted the move was because of "police concerns of an increase in dangerous driving and overtaking in the tunnel."

But London Councils this week said City Hall has failed to reveal publicly the scale of these problems and what action has been taken to counter these issues, until now.

It is calling on the mayor to provide "the full reasons" behind the move.

Its transport and environment chairman Daniel Moylan said: "The lack of notice given to boroughs about this change has left people facing major congestion on their local roads.

"This change has been brought in so quickly that it prevented adequate measures to ease the congestion it has caused."

He is calling for the reasons to be revealed to see if the 'benefits' outweigh the inconvenience caused.

The move also outraged the Association of British Drivers which accused the mayor and Met Police of "the flimsiest evidence of the risks of traffic accidents."

It's London co-ordinator Roger Lawson issued a statement saying: "The video clips which have been released of the alleged 'incidents' do not show actual collisions, but only 'near misses.' Drivers concerned seem to have realized their mistakes quickly.

"Scrapping the rush-hour contra-flow clearly increases congestion at the tunnel southern entrance.

"It is appalling this action has been taken without proper consultation.

"The tunnel is one of the main arteries from south-east London and Kent into East London and the City, which is already heavily congested."

The association said the move was an attempt to 'justify' the proposed congestion toll at Greenwich, now under consideration, which would include the A102 Tunnel Approach road.

This would turn the Blackwall Tunnel into a 'toll' river crossing for the first time in its 110-year history.