Why the way we travel matters
It is hard for many people in outer London to travel without a car – and many more outer London households own a car than those in inner London.
But if we could support more people to make sustainable journeys, there would be considerable environmental benefits, and possibly social and economic benefits too.
Measuring car dependency
Of all regions across England and Wales, London has the highest proportion of households with no cars or vans. This suggests that many people in the capital are already able to travel via a range of other more sustainable modes – made possible by high population density and significant investment in both public transport and active travel. 1
However, travelling via sustainable modes is generally easier for those living closer to the centre than for those living in outer London. Better access to public transport and shared transport schemes – and better active travel infrastructure – all contribute to lower levels of car ownership and use within inner London.
Indeed, a large proportion of people in inner London are already living “car free”: 2021 census data show that the proportion of households with no cars or vans in inner London is nearly double that of outer London (58 per cent compared to 31 per cent 2 – see Figure 1).
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions
Transport is the one of the largest greenhouse emitters in London, accounting for around one-quarter of the city’s total emissions. 3 With road transport accounting for over 75 per cent of these transport emissions, 4 reducing the number of journeys made by private cars is necessary to mitigate the worst effects of the climate crisis.
Reducing air pollution
Road vehicles are the biggest cause of air pollution in London. 5 The effects of air pollution range from worsening respiratory symptoms to premature death from cardiovascular diseases. 6 More than 50,000 Londoners live with asthma and are more vulnerable to the impact of toxic air – with over half of these people living in outer London boroughs. 7 Levels of air pollution have been falling across London, but this has happened much more slowly in outer than inner London. 8
Reducing congestion
Having fewer drivers on the road could be beneficial not only for cyclists and pedestrians, but also for car users. In January 2023, London was ranked by INRIX, a travel data provider, as the most congested city in the world, with drivers spending an average of 156 hours in traffic in 2022. 9 In addition, by exposing drivers to more air pollution, high levels of traffic exacerbate the health impacts of driving on drivers themselves. 6 Enabling more Londoners to use sustainable travel options can help reduce the number of vehicles on the city’s roads, decreasing traffic and speeding up journey times.
Where cycle lanes have been introduced in London, one study found that traffic flow fell – though they found only marginal improvements in the speed of traffic. 11 If more people switched from driving to either cycling, riding an e-bike/e-scooter or using public transport, the city’s roads would be less congested, as these modes take up less road space per person.
Boosting the economy through better connectivity
Enabling people in outer London to travel via more sustainable modes can also boost the economy by providing improved connectivity. The lack of transport connectivity in some outer London boroughs can make it harder for people to access jobs, education and services – especially those who cannot afford a car. Improving the transport network can reduce journey times and help more Londoners access a wider range of jobs and services, thereby increasing economic output.
Addressing inequality and deprivation
Providing outer Londoners with more alternative transport options can also help to address deprivation.
For low-income Londoners who cannot afford a car, the high costs of travel and lack of connectivity to a wider transport network in some parts of London can prevent them from accessing jobs, education, healthcare and essential services – as well as contributing to social isolation.
Increasing connectivity through a greater number of affordable and accessible transport options in outer London could help more low-income Londoners to have better access opportunities and services. Meanwhile, running a car is costly: research from the AA puts the cost at £310 per month, and polling by Opinium for website Nerdwallet suggests that costs are higher in London than elsewhere. 12 13
What we mean by “outer London”
The term “outer London” is used to describe different things by different people. In this report, we define it as the geographical area covered by 19 of the 33 local authorities in London. This is in line with the Office for National Statistics’ definition and the Mayor’s Transport Strategy.
Approximately 5.4 million people live in outer London, or 61 per cent of London’s total population. 14 Its population density is lower than inner London but higher than the rest of England, with 4,307 residents per square kilometre in outer London compared to 10,664 in inner London and 434 in England as a whole.
Outer London is home to more children, more older people, and fewer people aged in their early twenties to early forties than inner London. People living in outer London have a lower median income than those in inner London (£33,000 vs £37,000), but a higher median income than that of England as a whole (£28,000). We elucidate what this means for travel in outer London in the following chapter.
The role of electric cars
In this report, we focus on switching travel from private cars to more sustainable modes such as walking, cycling, public transport, car clubs and car rental.
Electric cars offer significant promise in reducing carbon emissions and localised air pollution. We believe that electric cars shouldn’t be viewed as a panacea for decarbonising transport, but rather as one part of a larger story. Significant work is already going on that will enable electric cars to play a bigger role in future, such as increasing the provision of charging points: consequently, they are not the main focus of this report.
Freight and deliveries
Transport for freight and deliveries is important for the economy but also contributes to emissions, pollution, and congestion. Centre for London’s report Worth the Weight: Making London’s deliveries greener and smarter explores these issues in more detail.