London

A key policy of the Mayor’s Transport Strategy is to get people to stop driving cars and start using active or public transport. Since London’s Congestion Charge was introduced in 2003, 1,300 automatic number plate recognition cameras supplied by Siemens have been installed at around 300 sites to discourage unnecessary journeys by private car across the city center. The scheme was an immediate success, with 21% fewer vehicles traveling through London each day, and traffic jams reduced by 30%. Milan and Stockholm have since implemented similar programs.

Growth in journey stages on selected modes, (index: 2000 = 100)

To tackle congestion, from 2020, London’s road users will also benefit from a new intelligent traffic management system developed by Siemens. Using a range of new data sources, the technology will employ an adaptive algorithm to manage up to 6,000 junctions across the city. Real time optimization will monitor traffic levels and automatically adjust traffic light timings to enable more users to flow across the capital’s road network with fewer delays. Data generated by the system can also be used to inform users about current or expected road conditions to support improved journey planning.

Hours spent in congestion per driver, in 2019