The mayor of London defended his push to cut car use by adding thousands of pounds to the cost of driving in the capital while insisting he is not anti-car.
Sadiq Khan, who says the city is facing a climate emergency, wants to expand the ultra-low emissions zone – and a £12.50 ($17.3) daily charge – to a much wider area of London.
He suggested the roads should only be available for those without alternative forms of transport.
"Where you can give up using cars, I would encourage that," Mr Khan said.
"We can avoid a health crisis that is around air quality and obesity but [it] will also mean that those who do need to use the roads for good reason, [if] you are a black-cab driver, electrician, plumber, blue-light services, delivery driver and so forth, [you] are not stuck in traffic and frustrated about productivity when others who have alternatives aren't using them."
Mr Khan was elected mayor partly on a promise to cut air pollution in the capital and the new proposal comes ahead of elections in May.
It would mean, with only a few exceptions, that pre-September 2015 diesel vehicles and pre-2005 cars would have to pay the daily fee if they drive inside the expanded zone. Drivers who then continue into central London would also pay an extra £15 congestion charge.
"It's the poorest Londoners, who are least likely to own cars, who suffer the worst consequences of bad quality of air," he said.
"It's children living in the poorest parts of London who will have stunted lungs forever because of the bad quality air, and adults who don't own cars who have heart conditions and cancer because of poor quality air."
Last week, the UK set into law the world's most ambitious climate target, pledging to cut carbon emissions by 78 per cent by 2035, compared with 1990 levels.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson called on global leaders and businesses to match that level of ambition ahead of the COP26 summit in November, to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
President Joe Biden announced the US would aim to halve its carbon emissions from 2005 levels by 2030.
And Mr Khan outlined his plan for traffic in London.
"The choice for our generation should be: are we the last generation not to get it, or the first generation to get it? I think it's a false choice about addressing the climate change emergency or damaging the economy," he said.
"Our city will grind to a halt if everyone returns to their cars. As it is, we are already seeing in some parts of London traffic back to what it was before the pandemic.
"Four out of 10 children under 11 are obese or overweight, so for me it [reducing car usage] is a win-win ... I am not anti-car; I am pro the green agenda and pro good air quality."
