Drivers of vehicles that fail to meet strict emission standards could face a daily charge of £12.50 to drive anywhere in Greater London.
This is because the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has launched a consultation on plans to extend the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) across the capital.
Mr Khan says it could take more than 100,000 older, dirtier cars off the road as he tries to reduce toxic air pollution and congestion.
It proposes to extend the project boundaries of the North and South Circular Roads to the whole of Greater London from August 29 next year.
The current boundary of the ULEZ, not including the North and South Circular Roads. Credit: Transport for London
Speaking to the PA news agency at City Hall, Mr Khan said: “I have a war on toxic air. It’s a war on climate change, it’s a war on toxic air. is a war on congestion to ensure that everyone in London can breathe clean air.
“We’ve seen the benefits of the world’s first Ultra Low Emissions Zone in central London and in London we’ve cut toxic air by nearly half.”
Whether or not a vehicle is liable for the ULEZ fee depends on how much nitrogen dioxide (NO2) it emits. To avoid the charge, diesel cars generally must have been registered after September 2015, while most petrol models registered from 2005 onwards are exempt.
In the outskirts of London, more than four in five vehicles are already ULEZ-compliant, according to TfL
City Hall said all Londoners live in areas that fall short of the World Health Organization’s target for particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide, with 500,000 people suffering from asthma and a similar number likely to develop illnesses related to polluted air over the next 30 years.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan. Credit: PA
Oliver Lord, from the Clean Cities Campaign, said: “A London-wide ULEZ will ensure everyone breathes cleaner air and especially people living on busy thoroughfares, who are often left behind.
“However, we have long awaited a conversation about what comes next, and I’m glad it’s started because we need to do more than ULEZ to meet our climate goals.”
Some politicians have criticized the Labor mayor’s consultation plans.
Speaking in the Commons on Thursday, Conservative Transport Minister Andrew Stephenson said Mr Khan ‘must not punish people who have to use their cars, especially at a time when people are struggling with the cost of life”.
On Friday morning, Sadiq Khan insisted he would not go ahead with the plans if the public overwhelmingly rejected them in public consultation.
In addition to its environmental benefits, the expansion of the ULEZ would provide additional revenue to Transport for London. TfL’s finances have been strained due to the pandemic.
However, the BBC reported that the extension of the ULEZ to the northern and southern circular routes generated less revenue in its first month than expected.
Mr Khan had previously ruled out the introduction of an air quality tax, which would have affected drivers of all but the cleanest vehicles.
He also decided not to go ahead with a proposal to charge drivers of vehicles registered outside London to enter the capital.
Consultation on ULEZ expansion ends July 29. To enter, visit https://haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk/cleanair?cid=clean-air
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Source: www.times-series.co.uk
This notice was published: 2022-05-21 12:45:00
