Ken Livingstone former mayor of London

<-- only Dave can bs his way into photographing 2 of the most moderately powerful people around Ken Livingstone and Clover Moore.

Proof that I was there. -->

On the way home yesterday, I rode uphill, slowly, much to the annoyance of a large BMW 4WD. Rounding me, his turbos whistled loudly, the revving engine testament to his testiness at being delayed by some seconds. He reached the top of the hill at speed, then turned left onto the highway and stopped. Friday night traffic heading North is more stop than go, so I passed him soon after.

The transport needs of a city is an interesting problem, and former Mayor of London "Red" Ken Livingstone was in town last Wednesday to give local mayor of Sydney Clover Moore a few tips. London has been renewed. From gridlock of cars shrouded in smog to a reduced free flow of cars, and increased alternative transport. In a speech from the heart, Ken also touched on environment, obesity, and the downside of consumerism.

The focus of the talk was the problems facing London. Car usage in the city had reached a critical level, and producing a gridlock. Public transport was underutilised.

A congestion charge was introduced on cars entering London. Overnight, there was a drop in car trips by about 40%. Now those, who really need to use their car, can drive in freely flowing traffic.

Only unemployed and pensioners used the buses, which were old. A new fleet of buses was renewed so now all kinds of people use them. Business people and even rich people use them, as they are now more convenient than a car. New unified ticketing means you only need a single Travelcard, which is more convenient and cheaper since one ticket covers buses, trains and trams. Bus trips have increased from 4 million to 6 million per day. As we all know a single bus can replace around 50 cars. Rail capacity also has also been increased by around 50% to cover for the reduction in cars.

With the reduction in cars, bikes are now being seen on the streets again. The number one problem for wealthy English speaking countries is obesity, and cycling is a simple way to achieve people's exercise needs, while getting to work at the same time.

A reduction in greenhouse emissions of 36% can be achieved simply by lifestyle choices, without any need for new technology. Producing electricity locally would cut down on losses during transmission from remote stations. Red Ken also reeled off some statistics concerning the rising oceans. 15% of Bangladesh will be underwater, and 4% of the resorts around the Mediterranean will be desert. Without action on emissions, this will get worse.

Earlier speaker Anthony Albanese said improved transport is also a social issue. He pointed out that many people spend more time in their car, than playing with their children.

Personally, I just hate breathing car exhaust outside my front door, and that there are almost no pedestrian crossings. Dear Ken, I hope you get back in again. More power to you!