The multi-billion pound tunnel under the Thames opened at 6am this morning (April 7), connecting Greenwich to the Docklands.
Those using the route between 6am and 10pm will be charged a toll, which will also be levied on the existing Blackwall tunnel.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has said that the new tunnel will help tackle “chronic congestion and poor air quality” around Blackwall Tunnel – but opponents say it will only create more traffic.
The Silvertown tunnel opened this morning (April 7) (Image: TfL)
This morning, around two dozen protestors gathered outside City Hall, which is located less than a hundred metres away for the entrance to the tunnel in east London.
Victoria Rance, who lives close to the A102 in Greenwich, said that the tunnel should be repurposed so that it can only be used by bikes and buses.
“I feel it will be repurposed at some point in the future, just like Burnel’s Thames Tunnel was designed for horse-drawn carriages but is used today by trains,” she explained.
She added that there is currently no dedicated Thames crossing for cyclists east of Tower Bridge.
Transport for London (TfL) has claimed that the new tunnel already provides “frequent, accessible and sustainable public transport options”.
These include a new Superloop bus between Canary Wharf and Grove Park, as well as a cycle shuttle service that cyclists can use to get across the river.
But one protestor Alex Pemberton, who has lived in Greenwich for the last thirty years, described the shuttle service as “greenwashing”.
“The cycle bus is the last-minute icing on the cake,” he explained. “This tunnel is actually for HGVs, not for bikes.”
Victoria added that while 21 buses will use the tunnel every hour, she expects “hundreds” of HGVs to cross the river in that time.
She said that in the short-term, TfL should also levy the toll on drivers using the tunnel at night to reduce the number of “massive juggernauts” passing through Greenwich.
“I don’t think there should be a toll-free HGV crossing at night,” she said.
“We’re trying to sleep, and our kids are trying to breathe – it’s noisy and polluting. When are we supposed to be able to relax?”
Caroline Russell, a Green party London Assembly Member, has also called for the tunnel to be repurposed, claiming that even EVs produce toxic particulates PM2.5 from tyre wear.
“They have built a motorway tunnel which is going to take new massive lorries north and south across the river,” she said.
“Our communities are going to be plagued by road danger, extra traffic congestion and particulate pollution.
“The fact that the tunnel has opened today does not mean that the fight is over because we can still get a better way for people to get across the river using a bike or on foot.
“New roads create new traffic, and that’s not good when we’re trying to get our city to be resilient to the climate crisis.”
TfL has been approached for a response.
A spokesperson has previously said that transport bosses are committed to delivering an “overall improvement in air quality” as a result of “reduced traffic delays and congestion”.
According to TfL, modelling suggests that PM2.5 levels as a result of the scheme will be “negligible and not significant”.
A spokesperson added: “We began a comprehensive programme of Silvertown specific NO2 monitoring in 2020 to understand baseline conditions.
“This monitoring will continue for a minimum of three years post the tunnel opening so we can monitor operational levels.”
