ULEZ: polluting vehicles cut by a third during first four months

During the first four months of London’s Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), there were 12,524 fewer polluting vehicles on London’s roads each day, a reduction of over a third, according to City Hall data.

Figures for the zone, which came into force on April 8, show that from March to July, the average compliance rate was around 73% during congestion charging hours – higher than 39% in February 2017 and 61% in March 2019.

The ULEZ is a 24-hour scheme, however, historic data was collected during congestion charging (CC) hours only — 07:00 to 18:00, Monday to Friday, to ensure that comparisons with pre-ULEZ data was fair.

The report also reveals that the daily charges, which are £12.50 for non-compliant cars, motorcycles and vans and a £100 for lorries, buses/coaches, has raised £51m for City Hall to spend on green transport initiatives.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan plans to expand the zone’s boundary in 2021 should he be re-elected next year.

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: ‘Today’s figures prove that the ULEZ continues to have a significant impact with 12,500 fewer older, polluting vehicles now coming into the zone compared with March.

‘These older vehicles send harmful emissions into our air and lungs and I will continue to take bold action to protect Londoners from this invisible killer. It is highly encouraging to see that so many motorists and businesses are helping reduce pollution by driving cleaner vehicles into the zone.’

Conservative Mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey has previously said he would set aside the money for the planned expansion of the ULEZ in 2021 to pay for 371 electric buses.

In July, a new network of air pollution sensors in London detected illegal levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) at 40% of its locations during the first eight months of them operating.

Breathe London, which is a City Hall-backed project, has seen 100 fixed sensors placed in locations across the capital which found levels of pollution exceeding legal limits not only in central London but also outer boroughs such as Barking, Kingston and Hillingdon.

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