The forthcoming toll for the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels could increase traffic jams elsewhere, Geotab has warned.
TfL has confirmed that the new Silvertown tunnel will open with a toll on April 7. Drivers travelling through the Blackwall tunnel will also be subject to the same charge for the first time ever on the same day, according to News Shopper.
Vehicle tracking specialists Geotab has warned that the new toll could “intensify” existing traffic jams in central London if it forces drivers to use alternative routes.
Analysing data from more than 16,000 commercial vehicles last year, the firm said that more than 5,500 journeys were rerouted through central London to avoid Blackwall tunnel closures.
They said these closures also corresponded with the number of vehicles using Tower Bridge increasing by 18%, and with the number of lorries having to brake harshly more than tripling.
The firm said this means it has concerns if similar numbers are regularly rerouted through central London once the toll comes into effect.
“We cannot say now whether the introduction of a toll to the Blackwall Tunnel for the first time since it opened in 1890 will continue the displacement of road traffic to these other areas,” said Geotab associate vice president Aaron Jarvis
“But we do know that commercial vehicles spending more time on the road going shorter distances is not good for local communities, the economy, air pollution, or driver well-being.”
Pic: TfL
