Transport for London will consult on the plan to expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone again in 2023
London mayor Sadiq Khan has announced that Transport for London (TfL) will consult on expanding the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) to cover the whole of Greater London from 2023.
Studies for the London Assembly point to the greatest numbers of deaths attributable to air pollution in London’s outer boroughs – areas of the capital that aren’t currently covered by the ULEZ.
Khan announced the plans at a speech in Forest Hill, telling his audience: “The triple challenges of tackling toxic air pollution, the climate emergency and congestion mean we need to further reduce emissions from vehicles in London.
“We simply don’t have time to waste. The climate emergency means we only have a small window of opportunity left to reduce carbon emissions to help save the planet.”
Khan claimed the UK had made world-leading progress with clean air zones but noted the significant death toll in the capital, which could be attributed to air pollution. Young people, he said, often suffer permanent damage to their lungs due to toxic air.
“This is also a matter of social justice, with air pollution hitting the poorest communities the hardest,” he continued. “Nearly half of Londoners don’t own a car, but they’re disproportionately feeling the damaging consequences that polluting vehicles are causing.
“I believe the proposal to extend the ULEZ London-wide will have the biggest effect on emissions and congestion relative to the potential financial impact on Londoners as a whole.”
If successful, the expanded ULEZ would cover areas as far as Brent, Haringey, Lewisham and Newham. The North Circular and South Circular roads wouldn’t be affected by the charges.
As in the current ULEZ, drivers not complying would be required to pay £12.50 to enter the area each day, in addition to the Congestion Charge if applicable.
Implementing the expanded ULEZ could result in a reduction in NOx emissions from cars and vans by 285-330 tonnes. CO2 emissions in outer London would also be reduced by 135,000 to 150,000 tonnes.
Meanwhile, the number of the highest-polluting cars would drop by between 20,000 and 40,000.
Khan claimed that around 550,000 Londoners could develop diseases related to air-pollution over the next 30 years, costing the NHS and social care system an estimated £10.4 billion.
The mayor also suggested that support would be put in place to help small businesses, charities, disabled people and those on lower incomes once the expanded ULEZ had been implemented.
Details are unconfirmed, but a vehicle scrappage scheme has been suggested with additional support from the UK government.
“Road-based transport has for many years been a major contributor towards poor air quality and carbon emissions, and we’re determined to tackle this through a wide range of programmes across TfL,” said Christina Calderato, TfL’s director of transport strategy and policy.
“The world-leading road user charging schemes we’ve delivered throughout the last two decades have been really effective, but it’s clear that as a city we need to go further.
“We look forward to further developing the scheme through formal and comprehensive public consultation later this year.”
Keyword: London ULEZ could be expanded to cover whole of Greater London