Transport for London will introduce three free bus routes to encourage Londoners to use the Silvertown and Blackwall Tunnels.
The Silvertown Tunnel in East London, which has been under construction since March 2021, is expected to open on April 7 and will connect Silvertown with Greenwich Peninsula.
Commuters will be able to travel through the tunnel for free using two zero-emission bus services, the Superloop SL4 or the 129, while motorists will be expected to pay.
The buses will be free to use for 12 months as TfL attempts to encourage people to ditch their cars and use public transport instead – reducing congestion in one of London’s busiest commuter hubs.
There will be 21 buses an hour in each direction on Monday to Friday, between 7am and 7pm.
Customers will still be required to tap in on the bus, but the pay as you go fee will be £0.
However, in what has been branded a ‘cash grab’, motorists will have to pay a £4 toll at peak times and £1.50 at off-peak times.
The charges will apply seven days a week between 6am and 10pm.
The Silvertown Tunnel is due to open on April 7, with the aim of alleviating congestion around the Blackwall Tunnel
The interior of the Silvertown Tunnel which will connect Silvertown with Greenwich Peninsula
The sign drafts for the Silvertown Tunnel show a charge of £4 per trip for car drivers – The charges will apply seven days a week between 6am and 10pm
A map, which shows the locations of both the Blackwall and Silvertown tunnels
Peak times will be Monday to Friday, 6am to 10am for northbound traffic, and 4pm to 7pm for southbound traffic.
The 108 bus, which passes through the existing Blackwall Tunnel will also be free from April.
Transport bosses hope that access to both tunnels will reduce severe congestion in the neighbouring areas.
Cyclists will also be able to travel through the tunnel for free via a ‘bike bus’.
Five zero-emission shuttles will be available per hour between 6.30am and 9.30pm.
An artist’s impression demonstrating how the Silvertown bike bus will accommodate adapted bikes
Transport for London’s map of the Silvertown Tunnel shows the ‘bike bus’ route and the stops on either side
The Newham Portal entrance for the Silvertown Tunnel in East London, Londoner’s will be able to use the tunnel for free via a bus service
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan has previously stated his admiration for the Paris model of motorist levies, which see cars charged based on their size and pollution levels
The shuttle will have space for cyclists to rack their bikes and be driven across the river, as they cannot cycle through the tunnel for safety reasons.
However, concerns have been raised by cyclists about the location of the bus stops.
It has also been questioned whether the shuttles will be able to accommodate cargo bikes, such as large bikes used by families to transport young children.
TfL’s own consultation in 2023 found that cyclists were unlikely to use the service.
Simon Munk, head of campaigns and community development at the London Cycling Campaign, previously told MailOnline: ‘Everything about the Mayor’s Silvertown tunnel goes directly against his own transport strategy.
‘It will almost certainly lead to increased motor traffic across east London. The extra bus provision and cycle shuttle are largely deflection from that.’
TfL have been approached for comment.
