Mayor warns housing crisis will intensify if government fails to fund TfL

Thousands of homes across the capital are dependent upon new stations and other transport infrastructure that will not happen without urgent funding, says the Mayor of London.

The current short term Government funding deal with Transport for London (TfL) expires tomorrow, and the Mayor has warned that if no agreement is reached, much-needed new homes may not be built.

The Mayor expressed concern that if a funding agreement in not reached, the delivery of a further 6,000 homes planned for Colindale station in Barnet may not take place, as well as 30,000 new homes in Beckton Riverside and Greenwich that would be unlocked by an extension of the Docklands Light Railway towards Thamesmead and Beckton.

The Mayor previously argued that failure to secure Government funding could result in more than 100 bus routes being withdrawn and less frequent Tube timetables on a number of lines, which in turn could have a significant impact on the network’s efficiency and capacity.

TfL is considering resorting to closing a whole Tube line if funding is not secured.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: ‘TfL plays an intrinsic role in so many aspects of London life beyond the Tubes, buses and trams. A modern, accessible, future-proof transport system is essential to unlock the genuinely affordable housing that Londoners so desperately need.

‘Failing to adequately fund TfL is a dereliction of the Government’s duty to our capital city, the people of London and the country as a whole. We are in the middle of a housing crisis that cannot be solved if parts of the capital remain cut off from transport links or if vital schemes that improve access to town centres are not able to be delivered.

‘There can be no national economic recovery without a London recovery, and there can no London recovery without a properly funded public transport network in the capital. So it’s time for the Government to provide TfL with the funding it urgently needs.’

In related news, the Mayor of London has warned that the government’s Budget risks levelling down the capital, with insufficient funding and support for London to recover from the pandemic.

Photo by John T