The Mayor of London is responsible for developing a 10 year strategic framework for transport in the capital. This framework, most recently published in July 2001, may impact on the Tube in a number of ways:
■ Expenditure on buses - the Mayor's strategy is to make radical improvements to bus services across London, including increasing the bus system's capacity, improving reliability and increasing the frequency of services. The initiatives were intended, among other things, to relieve usage pressure on the Tube.
■ The range of the congestion charge - the charge is aimed at reducing the volume of traffic, thereby reducing congestion and car dependency and improving journey time reliability for continuing car users. LUL estimate that since the introduction of the congestion charge there is an increase of about 1% in trips to Tube stations serving the charging zone. This is estimated to amount to about 2,000 additional passengers in the morning peak hour. The Mayor has plans to extend the congestion charge westwards by the end of 2005, and this is likely to further impact on the demand for Tube travel.
■ Other rail lines - preliminary works have started on extending the East London Line linking Clapham Junction and West Croydon in the south to Dalston and Highbury. Other projects include the development of Metro style services on strategic lines, the extension of Thameslink 2000 and Crossrail. Again, these developments will be likely to affect Tube demand.
■ Social inclusion strategies - the Mayor is seeking to promote greater access to public transport for the economically and physically disadvantaged in London, and the direction of expenditure for these purposes will likely have an impact on the level and nature of Tube usage. The achievement of these strategies will, of course, depend on whether funding is available.