Transport is the lifeblood of London, its communities and its opportunities

Last week I launched my transport vision for London – ‘The Lifeblood of London’. I believe transport offers some of the biggest opportunities for radical changes towards making London a more affordable, liveable and sustainable city. Transport is the great enabler – it allows us to get to our jobs; it allows businesses to transport their goods; it allows communities to be connected and families and friends to keep in touch. When people are connected, their lives are better, it’s as simple as that. Transport is fundamental to the quality of life of Londoners. That is why transport is the very lifeblood of our city and that’s why it lies at the heart of my vision for London.

We are lucky in London. We have one of the best transport systems in the world, but like so much in this great city, we need to make sure we have an eye on the future to ensure it remains a world leader in transport. It is vital we do so if we want London to remain the buzzing, vibrant centre of culture and commerce that it is today.

A world leading transport system means London is on its way to leading the way in ensuring the best opportunities and quality of life for everyone in the city. Leave our transport system to fall behind, and we run the risk of letting each other fall behind.

Like the rest of my campaign, the key focus of my transport vision of to ensure it makes London more affordable, liveable and sustainable.

To ensure it is more affordable, I am promising fairer fares: This means:

· A fare freeze for my first year in office.

· No longer penalising those who live in the outer boroughs with higher fares. London is already expensive enough.

· A one hour, £1.50 bus fair that allows unlimited travel. You can do it on the tube, so why not the bus? This will help people shuttle around the city on their way tot work or visiting friends and family.

Making the city more liveable is key – that involves supporting and building communities as well as making the city a less polluted and more enjoyable place to live. To this end, I am proposing:

· A major pedestrianisation drive in the centre of London, starting with Oxford Street. Oxford Street alone went over the European limits for pollution limits within the first six days of January. This has to stop. It will also be key to helping business on Oxford Street survive as people head out of town to avoid the hassle and pollution on Oxford Street.

· Support for the Crossrail 2 route and speeding up bringing the tube to south London.

· An emphasis on taking cars off the road and promoting cycling by adding 50,000 cycling spaces; continuing the cycle superhighway scheme; speeding up the cycle quietways; and a mandatory requirement to place cyclists at the heart of every new junction and street planning process.

I also care deeply about the city we are going to leave to our grandchildren and their children. We need to make sure the city can be sustainable. That’s why I believe we need:

· A city wide Ultra Low Emissions Zone by 2020.

· Smarter congestion pricing to change traffic flows and reduce pollution;

· Tackling London’s air pollution problem once and for all, placing the need to meet EU targets as one of the first priorities of my administration.

After more than 30 years thinking, writing and talking about transport, has given me insight into just how much transport lies at the very heart of our city. We need a more affordable, liveable and sustainable London and this needs to be built on the back of a more affordable, liveable and sustainable transport system helping Londoners to get the most out of their city and ensuring everyone gets the best opportunities.

Christian Wolmar is seeking the Labour nomination for the 2016 London mayoral election. You can read Christian’s transport manifesto here.