Dominic Leggett, a spokesperson for Stop Silvertown Tunnel Coalition, claims that this proves the Silvertown tunnel is a new route that will be used by different drivers to those who currently use the Blackwall tunnel. TfL want the illusion that Silvertown is a relief road for Blackwall, he explained. But it's not because it goes somewhere different into the middle of Canning Town. The existing traffic still wants to use the Blackwall tunnel. This is why they are tolling the tunnels, to stop big increases in congestion and pollution.
Currently, around 100,000 drivers use the Blackwall tunnel every day. TfL modelling suggests that total traffic using the two crossings will be largely the same after Silvertown opens and both tunnels are tolled. Around 80% of this traffic will continue to use the Blackwall tunnel.
Stop Silvertown Tunnel Coalition has warned that there is no legal obligation for a future Mayor of London to keep the toll that keeps traffic at these levels. Any politician can decide it's politically advantageous to remove this toll if everyone hates it, Mr Leggett said. At that point, you get huge amounts of extra congestion and pollution.
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