London has brought the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) into action today, which is one of the most stringent pollution-cutting measures currently in operation in the UK.
The central area of the capital city is now under tighter emission restrictions, meaning drivers of older and higher polluting vehicles must pay an additional £12.50 on top of the daily congestion charge.
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Running 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, the new scheme is being used to try and cut the amount of harmful emissions in the city’s atmosphere – which has some of the highest levels of NOx and CO2in Europe.
Drivers of diesel vehicles older than four years and petrol cars from before 2006 will need to pay the new fee, as well as the £11.50 congestion charge – totalling £24 each day for the pleasure of using roads in central London.
Larger vehicles, such as lorries, buses and coaches that don’t comply with certain guidelines will need to pay £100 to drive in the ULEZ.
October 2021 will see the zone grow even further, as it will reach the limit of the North and South Circular roads – taking in most of the capital’s most popular destinations.
London mayor Sadiq Khan commissioned a study by King’s College London and Imperial College London that found the city’s poor air quality led to more than 1,000 hospital admissions for asthma and serious lung conditions every year.
Khan said: “As someone who developed adult-onset asthma over the last few years, I know from personal experience that London’s toxic air is damaging people’s health.
“This study is a stark reminder that air pollution disproportionately affects the most vulnerable Londoners and I’m doing everything in my power to protect children, the elderly and those with respiratory conditions from our filthy air.”
