More red London buses go green as Sadiq Khan hits landmark of 2,000 zero emission vehicles
But the roll-out has not been without its problems. The 'new Routemasters' introduced by Boris Johnson – which have been criticised for their emissions - were used to help expand Sir Sadiq's Superloop network, while ageing diesel buses were reintroduced earlier this year to allow electric buses to be converted into the Silvertown cycle bus.
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The Independent
9 hours ago
- The Independent
Quicker queues at EU passport checks? Simon Calder's assessment of claims that millions of Brits will win access to e-gates
British travellers to Europe have never had it so good: that is the narrative from the government ever since the UK-EU 'reset'. Ministers from Sir Kier Starmer downwards have been happy for holidaymakers to infer that they will have a better experience at European Union borders this summer – and that the UK government deserves credit for improving our travelling lives. Much of that optimism is based on British citizens being able use passport e-gates. But what is the reality? Some background: after the 2016 decision to leave the European Union, Boris Johnson's government negotiated for the 'Venezuela outcome' as far as British travellers are concerned. We chose to became 'third-country nationals' – a designation proudly shared with many others, including Venezuelans. The practical consequences for British holidaymakers crossing borders were clear, because the UK helped create the European rules. Previously only one check was necessary when travelling between the UK and the Schengen area (the rest of the EU minus Ireland, plus Iceland, Norway and Switzerland): that the passport was valid and that it belonged to the holder. E-gates are brilliant at this. They compare the information encoded in a passport with the traveller's face to verify that the document belongs to that individual. They are also linked to a central database to confirm the document's validity. The post-Brexit changes that the UK requested, and to which Brussels agreed, include: Having our passports stamped on the way in and out of Europe Giving up access to the fast track for citizens of the EU and wider Schengen area Having border guards check we have not outstayed our 90-day welcome Each individual border transaction therefore takes much more time, leading to extremely long queues if border resources are thin. The most recent half-term was miserable for thousands of families, whether flying in to the Spanish island of Tenerife or flying out of Faro in Portugal. New arrivals and homeward-bound passengers experienced two-hour waits at times. This was gruelling for new arrivals – and expensive for some departing travellers, who missed their flights despite having arrived in good time at the airport. Faro airport, at least, will improve – with British travellers now able to use e-gates. But that is only part of the story. These are the key UK government claims, and my assessment of each. 'Millions more Brits arriving in the Algarve are set to benefit from e-gates ahead of the summer holidays' Source: Cabinet Office press release. Assessment: Configuring e-gates at the Portuguese airport to connect to UK government systems will speed things up a bit for many British passengers. Border staff will no longer need to verify the traveller's identity. All good, then? Not quite. Families with young children will still need to queue to see an official. And after passing through the e-gate, every British passport must be stamped by a human border guard. In theory he or she should also check that the traveller has not been in the Schengen area for more than 90 days out of the past 180 days. The claims for Faro airport get increasingly ambitious: '[E-gate access] will speed up journeys for the approximately 10 million British travellers who use the airport each year' Source: Prime minister 's official spokesperson. Assessment: Complete tosh. Around 2.5 million UK citizens visit Portugal in a typical year. Counting flying in and out, that is 5 million border crossings – covering Lisbon, Porto and Madeira airports as well as Faro, plus those who arrive by land and sea. But let us generously assume that half of those British visitors are using Faro airport. That is still one-quarter of the figure given by No 10. I have told the Cabinet Office this, and asked to see its working. Now let us look at some wider assertions … 'British holidaymakers will be able to use more e-gates in Europe, ending the dreaded queues at border control' Source: Government announcement. Assessment: The first part of this claim is demonstrably true. Besides Faro allowing UK visitors to go through e-gates, many other European authorities are moving in that direction because, as mentioned, it is an extremely efficient way of handling part of the border bureaucracy. Each EU nation makes its own decisions on how to operate its borders. Some are choosing to introduce e-gates for third-country nationals in order to accelerate the arrival and departure process. The second part of the assertion is fanciful. While 'dreaded' is not quantified, it is reasonable to say anything longer than a half-an-hour is unwelcome. There will doubtless be squeezes in arrivals halls over the summer that result in hour-long queues. At Tenerife South airport, at times in summer nine inbound flights from the UK are scheduled within a single half-hour. If they keep to schedule, there will be a sudden influx of over 1,600 people – the vast majority of whom have British, rather than EU, passports. Resourcing to allow swift processing for peaks such as that would be unreasonably expensive for border authorities. 'The Prime Minister has been clear that there should be no reason why European countries cannot go further and faster on this now' Source: Foreign Office minister Baroness Chapman of Darlington, speaking in the House of Lords. That's a big claim. European countries may well have good reasons for not going 'further and faster' on rolling out e-gates for British holidaymakers. They may wish to commit money and effort to things that will benefit their citizens, rather than helping the UK clear up one of the many messes brought about by the British decision to leave the EU.
North Wales Chronicle
13 hours ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Sir Sadiq Khan urged to seek higher taxes and parking fees for SUVs
London Assembly Members agreed a motion calling on the mayor to take action because of fears that the increasing size of cars is damaging road surfaces, causing congestion and putting other road users at greater risk of death and serious injury. The London Assembly called on Sir Sadiq to ask the Treasury to amend vehicle excise duty to include a tax based on vehicle weight. It also wants the mayor to request that councils in the capital consider charging more for parking larger cars, and to call on the Department for Transport to introduce tighter limits on the size and bonnet height of passenger vehicles. The motion was agreed by 14 votes in favour and eight votes against. SUVs have grown in popularity in recent years, with many drivers favouring their higher seating position. They accounted for a third of all new car registrations in the UK last year, compared with just 12% a decade earlier. SUVs are generally taller, wider and heavier than traditional cars, and less fuel-efficient. The increase in the size of cars has been described as carspreading. Labour London Assembly Member Elly Baker, who proposed the motion, said the capital's streets 'weren't designed for larger vehicles like SUVs'. She went on: 'Their greater size, weight, and higher bonnets put vulnerable road users at greater risk, reduce available parking spaces, and cause more wear and tear on our roads. 'It's time we took sensible steps to manage the impact of oversized cars and ensure our streets remain safe and accessible for everyone.' But AA president Edmund King insisted it is 'up to Londoners to choose the type of vehicle that best fulfils their needs'. He added: 'It is not really the role of the London Assembly to dictate what cars individuals should drive. 'Some larger families may well need bigger vehicles with more passenger seats, whereas a driver conducting most trips alone may well choose a city car. 'London's streets were developed around the horse and cart, so of course our infrastructure needs modernising to keep up with change.' A recent study found pedestrians and cyclists are 44% more likely to die if they are hit by an SUV or similar-sized vehicle rather than a traditional car. The analysis produced by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Imperial College London stated that the figure rises to 82% for children.
Leader Live
13 hours ago
- Leader Live
Sir Sadiq Khan urged to seek higher taxes and parking fees for SUVs
London Assembly Members agreed a motion calling on the mayor to take action because of fears that the increasing size of cars is damaging road surfaces, causing congestion and putting other road users at greater risk of death and serious injury. The London Assembly called on Sir Sadiq to ask the Treasury to amend vehicle excise duty to include a tax based on vehicle weight. It also wants the mayor to request that councils in the capital consider charging more for parking larger cars, and to call on the Department for Transport to introduce tighter limits on the size and bonnet height of passenger vehicles. The motion was agreed by 14 votes in favour and eight votes against. SUVs have grown in popularity in recent years, with many drivers favouring their higher seating position. They accounted for a third of all new car registrations in the UK last year, compared with just 12% a decade earlier. SUVs are generally taller, wider and heavier than traditional cars, and less fuel-efficient. The increase in the size of cars has been described as carspreading. Labour London Assembly Member Elly Baker, who proposed the motion, said the capital's streets 'weren't designed for larger vehicles like SUVs'. She went on: 'Their greater size, weight, and higher bonnets put vulnerable road users at greater risk, reduce available parking spaces, and cause more wear and tear on our roads. 'It's time we took sensible steps to manage the impact of oversized cars and ensure our streets remain safe and accessible for everyone.' But AA president Edmund King insisted it is 'up to Londoners to choose the type of vehicle that best fulfils their needs'. He added: 'It is not really the role of the London Assembly to dictate what cars individuals should drive. 'Some larger families may well need bigger vehicles with more passenger seats, whereas a driver conducting most trips alone may well choose a city car. 'London's streets were developed around the horse and cart, so of course our infrastructure needs modernising to keep up with change.' A recent study found pedestrians and cyclists are 44% more likely to die if they are hit by an SUV or similar-sized vehicle rather than a traditional car. The analysis produced by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Imperial College London stated that the figure rises to 82% for children.
