A transport campaigner has come up with some ideas to ease our traffic misery and complement the eventual arrival of the Lower Thames Crossing.

During public consultation on its preferred crossing east of Gravesend last year, Highways England predicted that it would take up to 14% of traffic away from the often-congested Dartford Crossing.

But with the government yet to confirm its plans, and the completion of any new crossing at least a decade away, improved public transport links have been identified as another way in which congestion could be addressed while still getting us over the Thames.

James Willis, who grew up in Thong Lane, Gravesend and is now a borough councillor in Maidstone, believes people need more options than the X80 bus service between Bluewater and Lakeside and the ferry between Gravesend and Tilbury.

“A crossing east of Gravesend would release about 14% of traffic from the Dartford Crossing, which is a tiny amount compared to its capacity,” he said.

“Public transport could take up to 10% on its own and it’s crazy that it’s not even being looked at.

“Nothing is being done about public transport across the Thames. At present, there is a small ferry and an often slow bus service that crosses, taking less than 1% of crossing traffic.”

The cost of the crossing east of Gravesend, known as Option C, could be upwards of £6 billion, whereas Mr Willis believes his public transport scheme idea would cost around £600 million.

With Dartford’s gridlock and pollution woes widely documented, any traffic public transport might take off the roads in the area could make a huge difference.

“It would reduce congestion, local pollution and resultant deaths, enable cross-river journeys for non-drivers, and drive regeneration and job creation,” Mr Willis added.

“This would also be faster, cheaper, and more frequent than rail services between Grays and Northfleet, which require people to go into London first.”

He has identified three potential lines, one of which would go from Grays to Greenhithe, including multiple stops within Ebbsfleet Garden City.

Another would go from Grays to the proposed London Paramount resort at Swanscombe, and a final line linking the theme park to its car park.

A petition has been launched calling on the government to consider the proposal: https://www.change.org/p/chris-grayling-we-need-a-cross-thames-transit-now.

Transport infrastructure is one of the key issues being cited by Mr Willis in his campaign to win one of the two Gravesham East seats up for grabs in the upcoming Kent County Council election.

He is standing for the Liberal Democrats and is up against Diane Marsh and Alan Ridgers for the Conservatives, Tina Brooker for Ukip, Marna Gilligan and Martin Wilson for the Greens, and Labour’s Colin Caller and Lyn Milner. Mr Willis also stood for the Lib Dems to be MP for Dartford in the 2010 general election.