10% of vehicles still not meeting LEZ targets
More than 10% of lorries, buses and coaches operating within the London Low Emission Zone are still not meeting Euro 4 standards for particulate matter, environment minister Richard Benyon has revealed.
In a written Parliamentary answer on Monday (April 16), Mr Benyon, referring to the LEZ, noted that “90% of affected vehicles observed driving in London now meet the required standard of Euro 4 for particulate matter, and 98% meet the required standard of Euro 3.”
The minister’s figures comes a month after the Transport for London Commissioner, Peter Hendry, told his Board on March 15 2012 that “almost 90% of lorries, buses and coaches” were meeting the new standards introduced under LEZ Phases 3 and 4 which were launched on January 3 2012.
- Some 90% of vehicles have met Low Emission Zone targets
Mr Benyon was responding to Labour MP and former environment minister, Ben Bradshaw, who also asked him “how many fines had been levied for breaches of the Euro 4 emission standard in London’s Low Emission Zone in 2012 to date?” And, Mr Bradshaw also asked about fines for breaches of the Euro 3 emission standard for light duty vehicles in London in 2012.
Responding, Mr Benyon only gave overall figures for fines since the Low Emission Zone was introduced in February 2008. He said: “TfL has issued over 21,500 Penalty Charge Notices to non-compliant vehicle operators since the scheme began in 2008.”
The minister commented: “ The London Low Emission Zone (LEZ) is the responsibility of the Mayor of London and is enforced by Transport for London. It is the world’s largest city-wide LEZ and the Mayor has recently made compliance requirements more rigorous as part of broader strategy to improve air quality in London.
“Other measures include investment in hybrid buses, retiring the oldest most polluting taxis, delivering record investment in cycling and provision of charging points for electric vehicles via Source London. With financial support from the Government, the Mayor has also trialled a range of innovative measures, including the use of dust suppressants and green infrastructure, through his Clean Air Fund.”
Leon Daniels managing director for Surface Transport at Transport for London, told the TfL Board earlier this year that there had been “a high level of compliance with the Low Emission Zone.”