The same tech could be used to track and bill drivers every time they make a trip.

It’s a radical move but also somewhat inevitable if London wants to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2030.

But could it work in the US?

An image of traffic congestion on a city street.

Ezequiel Garrido / Unsplash

And why not just ban cars altogether?

“In the UK, 60% of car journeys are between 1 and 5 miles.

There’s also an extensive data pipe of bike lanes.

A red double-decker bus on a city road.

chan lee / Unsplash

And more than two-thirds of trips could be done by bike in under 20 minutes.

All that’s needed, the thinking goes, is a little encouragement to stay out of the car.

During his time as mayor, Khan has already cleaned up London’s air significantly.

Red and white train in motion in a train terminal.

Mediocre Studio / Unsplash

But traffic emissions have only been reduced by 7%.

Privacy and Freedom

Would this radical solution work in the US?

And without London’s dystopian camera internet, tracking and billing cars might also be impossible.

There’s no easy answer, of course, which is why London is going for the difficult answers.

But the tide is, in Europe at least, turning.

It’s becoming evident that our excessive car use contributes signifcantly to the climate emergency.