Congestion charge has increased life expectancy of Londoners

The Central London Congestion Charging Scheme (CCS) has led to a modest increase in the life expectancy of Londoners, according to a joint study by King’s College, London and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, which is published in Occupation and Environmental Medicine journal.

The CCS was introduced in Central London in February 2003, to alleviate traffic congestion. To date, the impacts of the scheme on levels of traffic-related air pollution and the its effects on health have not been assessed. This is the first study to estimate the magnitude of the scheme’s impact on changes in life expectancy associated with air pollution. It also gives an indication of the extent to which a localized traffic intervention may influence socioeconomic inequalities in exposure to traffic pollutions, and the associated health effects.
News-Medical Net