London ULEZ expansion now live

London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) now covers one-quarter of London and is the largest zone of its kind in Europe.

The new zone is 18 times the size of the central London zone and now covers 3.8 million people. 

The scheme will operate 24 hours a day, every day of the year except Christmas Day. 

The ULEZ expansion, alongside tighter Londonwide Low Emission Zone (LEZ) standards for heavy vehicles introduced in March are expected to reduce nitrogen oxide (NOX) emissions from road transport by 30% across London in 2021. 

The Mayor has so far provided £61m worth of grants to small businesses, charities, low-income and disabled Londoners to scrap their older, more polluting vehicles.

Many Londoners have already taken action to prepare ahead of today. Early indications show that 87% of vehicles travelling in the zone already meet the ULEZ standards. This high compliance rate means that only 110,000 vehicles each day are expected to need to pay the £12.50 charge.

Sadiq Khan, said: ‘This is a landmark day for our city. I pledged to be the greenest Mayor London’s ever had and I am incredibly proud that expanding the Ultra Low Emission Zone today will clean up London’s toxic air pollution and help tackle the global climate emergency by reducing emissions.

‘In central London, the ULEZ has already helped cut toxic roadside nitrogen dioxide pollution by nearly half and led to reductions that are five times greater than the national average. But pollution isn’t just a central London problem, which is why expanding the ULEZ today will benefit Londoners across the whole of the city and is a crucial step in London’s green recovery from this pandemic.

‘This is also about social justice – we know pollution hits the poorest Londoners, who are least likely to own a car, the hardest, which is why I’m doing everything I can to improve air quality and protect the health of all Londoners. I will not stand by while pollution leads to 4,000 Londoners dying early each year and our children growing up with stunted lungs. The expanded ULEZ is a vital step towards helping combat London’s illegal air and reducing the emissions that are harming our planet.’

Katie Nield, lawyer at environmental law charity ClientEarth, commented on the expansion: ‘Toxic air harms the health of too many Londoners every year and the reality is that it won’t disappear on its own. Evidence shows that measures like the ULEZ are the most effective way to reduce lethal and illegal air pollution quickly. That’s why the expansion is a lifeline for Londoners.

‘Alongside the ULEZ, local and national governments need to provide the right help and support to make sure that people on lower incomes and small businesses are able to transition to cleaner forms of transport.

‘The next step for the Mayor now is to ensure the ULEZ works for the whole of Greater London so it protects people’s health in all corners of the capital, while securing funds to support those who need it. Children from Croydon to Brent should be able to breathe the same cleaner air regardless of where they live. This is an environmental justice issue.”

Photo by Darya Tryfanava