Congestion charging leads to improved health

This news item was added on 29th February 2008

The introduction of congestion charging in London appears to have led to a modest increase in life expectancy for people living within the zone, new research shows.

Researchers from King's College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine found that the drop in traffic has brought about a fall in air pollution, particularly nitrogen dioxide.

The projected increase in life expectancy is estimated to be 1,888 extra years of life for the seven million people living in Greater London, and 683 extra years of life for the 370,000 people living within the charging zones.

The researchers have published their findings in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine and revealed: "The congestion-charging scheme appears to have resulted in a modest reduction in socioeconomic inequalities in exposure to traffic-related air pollution and mortality rates."

Air pollution has been shown to increase the risk of a number of health problems, including heart disease, cancer, allergies and asthma.