New research from independent think tank Centre for London has highlighted how a lack of sustainable transport options is pushing millions of people in outer London towards keeping their cars and using them for short trips.

They found that twice as many journeys in outer London are by car than in inner London (38% vs 19% of journeys) and that over half of car trips in outer London are less than two miles long. This drives climate change, air pollution and congestion.

The report argues that a key cause of these short car journeys is that public transport options and cycle lanes in outer London are designed for commuting in and out of central London, not for local trips.

To address the problem, Centre for London are calling for better infrastructure for walking, cycling and car clubs alongside more train and bus services.

62% of outer London residents said they would travel more often by public transport if it was more reliable and 45% said they would travel more often by walking, cycling, or using an e-scooter if there were clearer or wider pavements.

The research identifies key improvements like better street lighting, more cycle lanes for local journeys, more space for cycle storage, and better car club parking to help people get around and improve air quality.

To improve public transport, the authors are calling for increased frequency of train services to make them a more attractive option. They also recommend a requirement to deliver new bus routes for new housing developments, so that people moving in have less need for a car.

Achieving this change will require a joined-up approach from national and local government with an outer London transport strategy led by the Mayor of London, say the think tank.

Claire Harding, Interim Chief Executive of Centre for London said:

“There are 5.4 million people in outer London – as many as live in Scotland. But many of these people don’t have access to the transport options that their inner London counterparts enjoy.

Political rhetoric about transport spending in London hides the fact that millions of Londoners have limited options for getting around their neighbourhood.

Improving the options people have to travel sustainably for local trips, not just commuting, is at the heart of making London a more liveable city.”

Tim Thomas, Head of Transport Policy at Be First said:

“Outer London has been underfunded for many years, and therefore Local Authorities have not been able to build infrastructure to enable sustainable travel. We know many people who live in outer London want to walk, cycle and travel sustainably, but there are too many barriers for them to overcome.

We want to see an injection of investment in active travel in outer London, so people who live there have safe and realistic alternatives to travelling by private vehicle. Be First are pushing ahead with sustainable travel projects in Barking and Dagenham and we’re also asking TfL for further investment in our Borough.

The Moving with the Times piece summarises the challenges that outer London faces and we hope that this will be a foundation to encourage more frequent and reliable funding in outer London.”