Express & Star

Mayor Andy Street teams up with London in congestion-busting deal for West Midlands

The West Midlands is taking congestion-busting lessons from London thanks to a deal thrashed out between the region’s mayors.

Published
Can congestion be eased around the West Midlands?

West Midlands Tory Mayor Andy Street met with his Labour counterpart in the capital Sadiq Khan at Transport Control Centre to see first-hand how London works to reduce congestion and manage major events.

It comes after Transport for West Midlands announced it had agreed a new ‘knowledge-sharing’ deal with Transport for London.

The agreement is the first of its kind in the country, and saw the two mayors sign a memorandum of understanding which will allow them to share best practice and work towards common goals.

West Midlands Mayor Andy Street

Mr Street said how the capital deals with large-scale sporting events such as the London Marathon and RideLondon was at the top of his agenda, particularly with Birmingham hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2022.

Mr Street said: “In the next few years, the West Midlands will be playing host to huge events requiring us to be at the top of our game in terms of managing transport, particularly on our public transport networks. Transport for London has a wealth of experience in accommodating extra travellers and we’re keen to tap into this.”

It follows news last month that a new congestion charge is set to be introduced in Birmingham city centre by 2020 in a bid to tackle air pollution. Birmingham City Council said it was looking to impose a levy of between £6-£10 on car drivers. The levy could be up to £100 per day for HGVs.