Car charge 'won't snarl up London'

Ken Livingstone will today try to calm public fears over congestion charging with fresh promises that his public transport improvements will cope with its impact. The Mayor will produce predictions by transport experts that even in a worst-case scenario, the 200 extra buses he plans to introduce across the capital will easily absorb any extra passenger load when the £5-a-day charge starts in 2003.

The research suggests extra demand for public transport will peak between 8am and 9am, when around 7,500 " exdrivers" out of their cars because of the charge will be going work. But the planned extra buses should, Transport for London says, provide 8,600 seats per hour.

However TfL officials concede the beneficial effect could be reduced if the buses were not running at full capacity or were hit by major traffic snarl-ups.

The new research - the result of "sophisticated" computer modelling - will be given to a London Assembly transport scrutiny committee this morning, where the Mayor's officials expect a fierce grilling from members over his plans.