Follow Paris and make public transport free to cut pollution - London Assembly member

Making public transport free or at least "very affordable" is vital if London is to tackle air pollution, according to a London Assembly member writing in The Independent.

Caroline Russell says London Mayor's Ultra Low Emission Zone will fail to encourage motorists to keep journeys short and the most effective way to cut pollution would be to slash the number of car trips. "People may drive as much as possible to get better value from the charge they have just paid."

"So there is a good case for making all public transport free, or at least very affordable, to encourage people to ditch their cars and get about town in the most sustainable way possible," she concludes, after Paris last week introduced free travel on the metro and buses as a temporary measure to combat a spike in pollution - at an estimated cost of four million euros a day in lost revenue and additional services.

Russell said: "Until we take some serious action on transport choice, whether you think they are gimmicks or not, London will see more pollution spikes and the worsening health of the people who live there."