Latest news with #CleanCitiesCampaign
Metro
04-07-2025
- Metro
Cyclist caught riding 'no-handed' fumes at City of London police officer
A barrister accused of cycling no-handed through central London told police they should be catching 'robbers' instead of fining him. Paul Powlesland posted a video of the encounter with the City of London officer after he was accused of 'careless and inconsiderate cycling'. In the clip, she said he was riding with 'his arms stretched out wide and off the handlebars during rush hour' on March 5. He then approached the officer on April 2 in Queen Victoria Street and filmed the video, before posting the footage on Thursday. In the clip, the barrister slammed the officer's decision, claiming that riding no-handed was not an offence. He said: 'So anyone cycling no-handed in rush hour is going to get ticketed?' The officer replied: 'If I see them, yes.' Paul then accused the officer of wasting police resources and claimed bike theft was 'endemic', adding: 'You don't even investigate most bike theft. There's phone snatching going on – you could be getting robbers. 'You're letting phone snatchers and bike thieves go to ticket law-abiding citizens cycling no-handed. 'Do you honestly think that's a good use of City of London Police time?' The officer said: 'Cycling with no hands on the handlebars places others at risk and contravenes Article 2 of the Human Rights Act,' adding: 'It endangers people on the road.' In a post on X Mr Powlesland insisted he was in the right.. 'I recently got stopped & ticketed by the City of London Police for, & I kid you not, 'cycling no handed',' he wrote. 'Even though it's clearly not an offence, the officer said they were ticketing me under the Human Rights Act as I was infringing other people's Article 2 'Right to Life', in case I fell off & injured them: utterly bonkers stuff.' A spokesperson for City of London Police told Metro that during the 'small clip of a longer interaction…the Human Rights Act was mentioned' but that Paul was penalised under Section 29 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, for 'careless and inconsiderate cycling'. They said that a ticket was processed on May 19, adding: 'Should the cyclist contest the ticket, officers will attend court and present any relevant evidence that we have obtained.' More Trending Metro has approached Paul Powlesland for comment. The City of London has launched a crackdown on cyclists skipping red lights – which they do at a rate ten times more than motorists. Since the beginning of 2025, 284 cyclists in the Square Mile have been fined for failing to stop at traffic lights, compared to just 25 motorists penalised for the same offence. Meanwhile, analysis from the Clean Cities Campaign shows that on average, 20,000 bikes are reported stolen every year across London at a rate of over 50 every day. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Another e-bike brand is set to launch in London this summer MORE: I've got a message for drivers who harass cyclists like me
Time Out
25-06-2025
- Time Out
This is officially the most child-friendly city in Europe
Paris is already known as the City of Light and the City of Love, but it can now claim a new moniker thanks to the Clean Cities Campaign: the City of Child-Friendly Infrastructure! Okay, that doesn't have quite the same ring as its OG nicknames, but the accolade is backed by data and child-centric urban planning. The Clean Cities Campaign is a climate-friendly transport NGO, and it analysed 36 different European cities on their school streets, safe driving speeds and protected cycling infrastructure. Paris topped the ranking with a score of 75 percent overall thanks to a load of kid-friendly schemes across the city. Take the streets, for instance. The city has been reclaiming the space around schools to create 220 'school streets', which have gone car-free. Plus, a 30 km/h speed limit is the new norm, and bike lanes are cropping up faster than you can say 'vélib'. Why? Well, it's all part of a two-wheeled revolution that's transforming how Parisians get around. Recommended: The 10 most brilliant things to do with kids in Paris. But it doesn't stop there. Paris is greening its schoolyards too: 131 of them have been turned into cool, shady 'oasis' playgrounds, and for families, there's now free public transport for kids, subsidized after-school activities, school supplies handed out from first grade, 100 percent organic meals in crèches, and lunch prices as low as 13 cents for low-income households. What's more, over 20 schools now offer open-air classrooms, there's a Language Academy in six schools, Tumo Paris is getting kids hooked on digital skills and the Climate Academy is shaping eco-minded citizens. In the summer holidays, 20,000 children have the chance to get stuck into activities at Paris's more than 400 city-run leisure centres, and that's on top of all the city's museums, libraries, and toy-lending centres. Impressive, eh? The top three in this study is rounded out by Amsterdam, which scored 63 percent, and Antwerp, which came closely behind with 62 percent. Read on for the top 10. These are the most child-friendly cities in Europe Paris Amsterdam Antwerp Brussels Lyon Helsinki Barcelona Bristol Oslo Ghent Plus: The world's most diverse and inclusive cities, according to locals.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Why is the Mayor turning back the clock on e-vans?
London has made huge strides in cleaning up its air since Oxford Street was named the world's most polluted road as recently as 2013. Notorious pollution hotspots such as Putney High Street once breached annual legal limits for diesel-related emissions just a few days into January but now stay compliant all year round. For that the Mayor can rightly take some credit, for greening London's bus fleet and for encouraging and supporting black cab drivers to swap diesel for electric taxis. But in one area there has been much more painful progress — delivery vans. The UK lags behind other western European countries in the uptake of electric vans. According to Oliver Lord, who leads the Clean Cities Campaign in the UK, diesel freight vehicles — especially vans — are now the biggest road transport contributor to harmful NOx emissions in central London. Progress in persuading the legions of small and medium-sized enterprises that are the backbone of London's economy to convert to green alternatives has been slow. That some have begun to do so is in no small measure down to the exemption from the congestion charge that electric vehicles have enjoyed since 2019. For companies operating vans zipping in and out of central London daily the savings can run to thousands of pounds a year. So at a time when they are being crushed by the burden of a multitude of extra costs — rents, rates, energy bills, the rising minimum wage and many more — the 100 per cent discount on the congestion charge is a welcome relief. But in just over six months it will be gone — and with it the biggest single fiscal incentive to switching to electric. Transport for London last week launched a consultation on plans to end the exemption for electric vehicles, known as the Cleaner Vehicle Discount, from the New Year. Under its proposals owners of electric vans and other commercial vehicles will instead get only a 50 per cent discount from the new headline daily rate of £18, in itself a 20 per cent rise. That will result in the daily charge for vans shooting up from zero to £9. Small business owners contacted by the Standard have expressed their dismay at this extra cost at a time of tiny wafer-thin margins. At best it will slow up the conversion of van fleets from diesel to electric even further. At worst, some SME bosses who have gone green are considering reverting back to diesel when their lease deals expire. Matt Jaffa, the London spokesman for the Federation of Small Business, said: 'We urge the Mayor to maintain a zero charge for small businesses that use electric vans. The higher upfront costs for new electric vehicles and the uncertain residual values for second-hand electric cars and vans already put them out of the financial reach of many small businesses. Still, the lower charges they are subject to in congestion zones act as a strong argument in their favour. Significantly reducing this benefit will de-incentivise small business fleets which would otherwise have given serious consideration to swapping over to a greener vehicle.' Cleaner Cities' Lord said: 'We have a very clear message to the Mayor. He needs to keep the 100 per cent EV discount and maximise the help to those who need it the most. And that is the smaller companies.' Anoma Radkevitch, owner of florists Bloomsbury Flowers, fears the changes proposed by TfL could cost her as much as £6,500 a year. She currently operates three diesel vans, one electric van and an electric car. Her vehicles buzz in and out of central London every day as she and her staff deliver bouquets and refresh blooms. She said: 'Now that incentive has gone I don't think I can afford to change over to electric. The congestion charge exemption was the big draw before. 'Because electricity prices are so high I wasn't making a big saving on the diesel. I am considering going back to diesel.' Other small business bosses made the same plea in a video released by Cleaner Cities. Matthew Connolly, founder and CEO of laundry delivery service Ihatelaundry, said: 'My message for the mayor on this issue is please please do the right thing. We can't afford to pay their congestion charge.' Paul Arrigo, CEO of seed importer Seeds of Italy, said: 'We like our electric van because it's convenient, it's environmentally friendly, it reduces costs for us as well. We need this little gesture to be able to continue.' TfL's consultation began on May 27 and runs through to August 4 with a final decision expected in the early autumn. TfL has been adamant its proposed new regime will continue to keep a lid on congestion in central London while providing 'ongoing support to those who need to drive in the zone to make the switch to an electric vehicle'. But for thousands of small businesses that did the right thing by converting to electric vans and now face paying an extra £9 a day to make unavoidable road journeys into central London it is just another unwelcome burden. Leading The Charge is supported by commercial partners, which share the project's aims, but our journalism remains editorially independent Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
BBC News
29-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Bristol 'better than Copenhagen' for kids walking and cycling
Bristol has been ranked the eighth best city in Europe for children to walk, cycle and get around on their own – coming ahead of city was marked higher than anywhere else in the UK by the Clean Cities Campaign (CCC), which looks at cycle lanes, speed limits, and low traffic zones near Pond, chairman of the Bristol Cycling Campaign, which promotes better infrastructure across the city, said he was "a little surprised" by the CCC calculated that 80% of Bristol's streets were designated a "safe speed" of 20mph, compared with only 3% in Copenhagen. However, the Danish capital does have significantly more cycle lanes that are protected from traffic. Paris had made "dramatic progress" to get to the top of the list, the CCC said. Amsterdam, Antwerp, Brussels, Lyon, Helsinki and Barcelona came next in the ranking, with Oslo and Ghent in ninth and tenth, and Copenhagen in eleventh place. 'A lot more to do' Boosting cycling infrastructure would have pushed Bristol's ranking even chairman of Bristol City Council's transport and connectivity committee, Ed Plowden, said he was "pleased" with the result but that more progress could be made."One of the things I've always said that makes a great city and a good transport system is that a sensible 12-year-old can walk around the city and be safe, and that parents aren't very scared about their safety," he said."So it's really nice to see at least a little bit of an endorsement that we're moving in the right direction, but let's not forget there's a lot more to do."The council plans to trial a new red high-friction surface on some sections of segregated cycleways in the city centre, to see whether this improves safety for cyclists and one busy bike lane through the centre is to be resurfaced with black tarmac, because the process for hiring contractors to refurbish the surface is already under way.
Time Out
28-05-2025
- Automotive
- Time Out
London's congestion charge could increase next year: cost, zone map and everything you need to know
Central London's congestion charge has remained the same price for the last five years. But, according to Transport for London, it's time for it to be increased. The congestion charge is in place to encourage Londoners to use more sustainable modes of travel and decrease emissions in the city centre. TfL wants to raise the charge in order to keep encourage more people to make the eco-friendly switch. Nothing's set in stone yet though. TfL has launched a public consultation over its proposals in order to hear what people living and working in the area have to say. It started on May 27 and will be open until August 5 – you can have your say here. But first, here's everything you need to know about the proposed changes to London's congestion charge. Why is the congestion charge going up? TfL said that it the increase would help further incentivise people to consider electric vehicles or use public transport. It added that if the charge stays the same, there would be around 2,200 more vehicles using the congestion charge zone on an average weekday next year. How much could London's congestion be increased by? As per TfL's proposals, the charge would increase by 20 percent from £15 to £18, if paid in advance or on the day of travel. At the moment, the congestion charge rises from £15 to £17.50 if it's not paid by midnight on the third day of travel. Under TfL's plans, that higher price will rise to £21. When would the charge increase? The price hike would come into place from January 2026. Where is London's congestion charge zone? The congestion charge zone covers central London, including the City of London, Soho, Southwark and Lambeth, bordered by major roads like Euston Road, Commercial Street, Tower Bridge Road and Vauxhall Bridge Road. Who has to pay the congestion charge? The better question is who doesn't have to pay. At the moment, all electric vehicles can go through the congestion charge zone for free, but that exemption is due to end from December 25 this year. TfL's new proposals say that zero-emissions should be given a discount. The 'New Cleaner Vehicle Discount' would come into place from January 2, 2026. Electric vans, HGVs, light quadricycles and heavy quadricycles will have to pay £9 a day (50 percent discount) and electric cars will have to pay £13.50 (25 percent discount). From March 4, 2030, those discounts would be reduced to 25 percent and 12.5 percent. At the moment residents driving non-electric cars enjoy a 90 percent congestion charge discount. From March 2027, that will be abolished for any new applicants. TfL said: 'Those who are already registered for the discount ahead of this date will not see any changes, reflecting that they might be reliant on their current form of transport.' What have people said about the proposals? Oliver Lord, the UK head of Clean Cities Campaign, said: 'We've record numbers of polluting diesel vans in the UK so I'm thrilled the Mayor is helping to reward businesses that invest in greener fleets. By prioritising electric and pedal powered freight, we will all benefit from cleaner air and quieter streets. 'There's no use having a congestion charge that nobody pays so I think today's proposals strike a fair balance between its core aims around traffic and congestion, whilst also advancing our environmental goals.' However, on the other side of the argument, Michael Lloyd, the FSB's London infrastructure champion, said: 'Many businesses, particularly in sectors where margins are so tight, will not able to absorb these extra costs. 'Businesses will look to charge customers in the charging zone a premium for their business services, which will heighten inflationary pressures further. 'The mayor should immediately reconsider the excessive increase and make it more palatable to struggling small firms. We urge the mayor to maintain a zero charge for small van users.'
