Consultation over ULEZ expansion launches

London’s mayor Sadiq Khan has launched a new public consultation on the next phase of his hard-hitting plans to tackle London’s toxic air, reduce filthy emissions and protect the public from harmful pollution by expanding the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ).

The ULEZ standards would be applied Londonwide for buses, coaches and lorries from 26 October 2020 and for cars, vans and motorbikes (with limited exemptions) up to the North and South circular roads from 25 October 2021.

The mayor recently delivered the first phase of these plans by introducing the new weekday £10 T-Charge in central London for the oldest vehicles.

This runs alongside and on top of the £11.50 Congestion Charge (C-Charge).

From 8 April 2019, the mayor is introducing the second phase of his plans - ULEZ, 17 months earlier than planned. It will replace the T-Charge and cover the same central area, alongside and on top of the congestion charge, but it will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

The daily charge for non-compliant vehicles will increase from £10 to £12.50 (for cars, vans and motorbikes) and £100 (for buses, coaches and lorries). Now the Mayor has set out his ambitious plans for the third phase that will deliver the health benefits of ULEZ to millions more Londoners by extending the Ultra-Low Emission Zone in 2021.

This could affect 100,000 cars a day, 35,000 vans a day and 3,000 lorries a day.

Drivers of non-compliant cars, vans and motorbikes would pay the same £12.50 daily fee as the central London ULEZ seven days a week. Drivers of non-compliant lorries, coaches and buses would pay £100 a day.

Diesel vehicles that do not meet the Euro 6 standard and most petrol vehicles that do not meet the Euro 4 standard will have to take action or pay, making the ULEZ the tightest emission standard adopted in any major world city. The area covered by the expanded ULEZ would include all roads up to a limit of the North and South circular roads, but not the North and South circular roads themselves.

Sadiq Khan said: “Following the successful introduction of the T-Charge, and confirmation of the central London ULEZ, I am moving ahead with the next stage of my plan to expand the Ultra-Low Emission Zone up to the busy north and south circular roads.

“I want Londoners to let me know what they think about my plans to clean up our lethal air.

“I’m doing everything in my power to turn around air pollution in London but I urgently need the government to wake up to the scale of the challenge. Instead of blocking London from accessing the new National Clean Air Fund, they should be delivering a diesel scrappage scheme to get the filthiest cars off our roads. The government’s own data shows that roughly 40 per cent of the UK’s roads exceeding legal pollution limits are located in the capital. Drivers need help switching to cleaner vehicles and greener alternatives and the whole of London needs a government which takes responsibility for this toxic air quality crisis.”