Saddiq ("my Dad Was A Bus-Driver") Khan & His Eco-Czar

[Khandro]

'Sadiq Khan’s latest attempt to try to ingratiate himself with the increasingly disruptive eco-loony movement is to announce that he’ll be closing 20 kilometres of roads across London for an entire “car-free day” in September. The man whose job is literally to keep the roads open is closing them for a publicity stunt…

Instead of inconveniencing millions of Londoners to virtue signal to people who glue themselves to trains, Sadiq could start by reining in his own Deputy Mayor for Environment, Shirley Rodrigues, who turns out to be rather fond of overseas jaunts on Mayoral business. Since being appointed in 2016, Rodrigues has racked up over 54,000 air miles on numerous long-haul trips to far-flung destinations including Mexico City, Bengaluru, San Francisco and three trips to New York, pumping out over 14 tonnes of CO2 in the process. As usual it’s one rule for our pious eco-overlords, another rule for the rest of us'

Guido

[Old_Geezer]

Does seem a daft stunt.

[ToraToraTora]

we must stop humouring these disruptive idiots. The UK is doing many different things that they should be applauding rather that running round like spoilt brats demanding 0 emissions by Monday week. Tool the police up in proper riot gear and move them on and/or nick the little *** gabs. Better still Mr Mayor put them in some of your buses and drive them to china where the real issues are.

[Zacs-Master]

It’s not like London is the first city to try it. It’s been done in Paris, Reykjavik, and even Bath as well as others. It’s a bit of a token gesture but it’s also about time we showed our support and joined in.

[Khandro]

//it’s also about time we showed our support and joined in.//

When dreadful little *** like khan have the misbegotten authority to close down London's roads and do so, it isn't a matter of 'joining in', there's no opting out.

[New Judge]

First and foremost road distances in the UK are measured and quoted in miles. It is unlawful to post distance signs in kilometres. Quite why the announcement has to be made in metric units is therefore unclear.

All this token nonsense will do is disrupt the lives of Londoners and visitors going about their business. It's utter drivel. There's no ore t say.

[naomi24]

Pathetic little man.

[JF85]

Hardly polite. He is a regular contributor, and "no ore t say" is a simple typo.

[Zacs-Master]

LOL ^^^

[naomi24]

Goodness! JF85 has a sense of humour! Happy days. :o)

[Gromit]

This car-free day is a good example of people going OTT by something that is absolutely trivial.
There is 9,197 miles of road in London, and they plan to close just 12 miles of it.
It is a pointless gesture that will prove nothing and not make anyone any healthier or safer. But the Mayor can tick a box that says London has had a car-free day (even though 99.99% of London Roads were packed as usual with cars).
If there is anything to complain about here it is not that 12 miles of road will be closed, it is that 9,185 miles will still be open.

[youngmafbog]

Right-on Gromit.

Still doesnt get round the point we should not be pampering to these people and Khant would be better employed hassling the Government to reduce knife crime.

[Gromit]

Ymb,
Khan is hardly the first London Mayor to (try to) jump on the Green bandwagon. The congestion zones and Boris Bikes are other more permanent examples. This feeble empty gesture by Khan is hardly going to impact many people on the day, and certainly not 365 days thereafter.
Bad Air quality in London is a real problem. It kills 9,500 people every year.
As I said in my previous answer, we should be giving Khan lots of grief, not for closing a handful of roads, but for not taking the problem serious enough, and doing something real to cut deaths, and improve the air quality for the rest of Londoners.

[naomi24]

Gromit, //This feeble empty gesture by Khan is hardly going to impact many people on the day//

Closing 20km of roads in London is hardly going to impact many people on the day? That's a joke, right?

[Gromit]

Naomi,
It happens for Royal Weddings and no bats a eyelid.

Asking you SatNav for an alternative route is not really day changing. And it depends which roads close. As it is an empty gesture, you can be certain it won’t be an important arterial road(s) that close.

[Khandro]

If people use alternative routes (which they will) it will only lead to more congestion on those roads giving even more pollution - so what's the point?

They have an annual car-free day here, but it's nothing to do with ecology. About 20 miles of a fairly main road which follows alongside the river is closed on a Sunday for fun. Every form of non-motorised transport appears, cyclists, (including penny-farthings and mono-cycles!) roller skaters, horses and traps along with joggers and walkers.
Each village along the way (about 12) sets up beer and food tents and brass bands play to add to the merriment. Great day-out.

[naomi24]

Gromit, they don’t close 20km of roads in London for royal weddings - and I can’t be sure of anything khan might do. He’s an idiot.