Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has pledged to transform air quality and transport options across the river with the introduction of the Silvertown tunnel.
He spoke to the Newham Recorder at an event in the City Fringe Low Emission Neighbourhood in Shoreditch about his hopes of what will change once the tunnel opens in 2025.
Mr Khan said: "One of the things that we've seen in that part of London is the fact that there's massive congestion, really atrocious air quality but few people using public transport because there's so few river crossings.
"The solution to ease congestion is a green option for river crossing.
"The Silvertown tunnel will be a world first in that there will be one lane reserved for buses with 37 buses going through the tunnel every hour."
Mr Khan called the current bus that goes through the Blackwall tunnel - the 108 - "the most unreliable in the city" but said that tolls on both tunnels should ease congestion and improve air quality.
Tolling wouldn't affect cyclists who would get free access across the crossing.
Mr Khan said: "Doing nothing is not an option.
"The scheme we're devising there is the cleanest and greenest scheme possible."
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