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The London mayoral election takes place on 5 May, and cutting the capital's pollution levels and improving transport in the city is at the forefront of all 12 candidates' manifestos.
Ahead of polling day, BusinessCar has studied the manifestos of each of the three main political parties and has also assessed the Green Party's as environmental issues are central to its policies.
According to the latest betting odds (highlighted below), Labour's Sadiq Khan is the favourite to take over from current mayor Boris Johnson, with Conservative Zac Goldsmith the second favourite, and the Liberal Democrats' Caroline Pidgeon in third. Ukip's Peter Whittle is a 250/1 outsider, while odds of 1000/1 are offered on the likes of Cannabis is Safer Than Alcohol's Lee Harris becoming mayor.
Sadiq Khan - Labour: 1/25If current favourite Sadiq Khan wins the race to succeed Boris Johnson, he will maintain the London Congestion Charge at its current rate of £11.50 per day for cars.
Khan will also support car clubs as a way of reducing congestion within the capital, while he pledged that Labour will prioritise new river crossings in the east of the city.
Like rival Zac Goldsmith, Khan says he will work with utility companies to make sure key roads aren't subjected to roadworks at the same time. He also vows to work with Transport for London on the matter to make sure the body operates more efficiently. Additionally he says he would freeze public transport fares for four years.
Khan pledges to consult on bringing forward the introduction of the Ultra-Low Emission Zone from its scheduled September 2020 roll-out, while he, like Goldsmith, will grow the city's electric charging point network, which he says is "necessary for a major expansion in the use of electric vehicles".
Zac Goldsmith - Conservatives: 9/1Should Zac Goldsmith become mayor on 5 May, he will back a privately financed tunnel under the Thames at Silverton, east London, due to be built from 2018, with levies applying to "dirty" vehicles and discounts for "clean" cars in order to address air pollution.
Goldsmith also pledges to take a "holistic" look at roadworks taking place across London, to ensure that multiple works affecting key routes are not carried out at the same time.
He also plans that by 2030 all new cars in the capital will be zero-emission "by winning new powers to deliver cleaner air for London", including controlling Vehicle Excise Duty within the capital and pushing for a diesel scrappage scheme, while he also wants to create a 'Boris Bike'-style electric car-sharing scheme with an increased network of charging points.
Goldsmith plans to consult on how the forthcoming Ultra-Low Emission Zone can be bettered with additional charges for "dirty" vehicles.
Caroline Pidgeon - Lib Dems: 150/1Taking inspiration from a controversial scheme in Nottingham, Caroline Pidgeon plans to introduce a Workplace Parking Levy of £3000 per year per parking space for businesses based in central London and the Canary Wharf financial district.
She would also up the price of the congestion charge to £14, from £11.50, with additional fees of £6 for entering the zone within peak hours, and a £2.50 levy on all diesel vehicles in order to reduce pollution levels. Pidgeon proposes that this charge is increased annually in line with public transport fare rises. Additionally, the Lib Dems would launch a smartphone app, making it easier to pay the charge, while Pidgeon plans to establish a similar zone around Heathrow airport.
Car clubs and the Emirates Airline cable car route between Greenwich and the ExCel exhibition centre, meanwhile, will be integrated into the Oyster card charging platform, while Pidgeon will also consult on road pricing for van drivers during peak times.
It is also proposed that the Ultra-Low Emission Zone will be rolled out in 2018 - two years sooner than currently planned - and be expanded to cover the whole area between the north and south circular roads by 2024, which encompasses a large proportion of Greater London. The party is also calling for all small and medium diesel vehicles to be banned from this zone by 2024.
Pidgeon, meanwhile, would oppose the construction of the Silverton tunnel - at a cost of £1bn - on the grounds that it would "exacerbate congestion" within the capital.
Sian Berry - Green Party: 200/1Sian Berry wants to get rid of the nine London public transport charging zones by 2025, creating a flat fare regardless of where people are travelling from and to. Under these plans, it wouldn't cost people any extra for taking longer journeys or switching between buses, tubes and trains.
Like Pidgeon, the Greens' mayoral hopeful wants to introduce a Workplace Parking Levy, by 2018, with higher rates for inner London and a lower rate for outer London businesses.
Berry additionally proposes consulting on a replacement for the congestion charge, which would cover the whole of London. It would be based on three elements: vehicle emissions, distance driven and time of day, and the type of road used.
The Greens are also proposing a London-wide Ultra-Low Emission Zone, which would be implemented by 2019 "at the very latest". The new ULEZ would be developed alongside the overhauled Congestion Charge.
A blanket 20mph speed limit would also be applied across all Transport for London roads. It would be enforced with average speed cameras, while the party wants to "reinstate the road user hierarchy", putting pedestrians and those with disabilities at the top and private car travel at the bottom of priorities for schemes such as junction improvements.
A record 12 candidates are hoping to become mayor. Running against the four hopefuls above are:
| George Galloway | Respect Party | 150/1 |
| Peter Whittle | UK Independence Party | 250/1 |
| Sophie Walker | Women's Equality Party | 500/1 |
| David Furness | British National Party | 1000/1 |
| Paul Golding | Britain First | 1000/1 |
| Lee Harris | Cannabis Is Safer Than Alcohol | 1000/1 |
| Ankit Love | One Love Party | 1000/1 |
| Janek Zylinski | Independent | 1000/1 |
| Betting odds correct as BusinessCar went to press. Sources: SkyBet/Ladbrokes. |
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