London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone is set to expand to include all London boroughs from August 29th. Find out how this could impact you.
What is the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ)?
The ULEZ street sign.
The ULEZ was introduced to clean up the air in London. Currently, the ULEZ covers all areas within the North and South Circular Roads. If your vehicle does not meet the ULEZ criteria, then you have to pay a charge of £12.50 a day when you drive it. Moreover, lorries, vans or specialist heavy vehicles have to meet separate criteria and pay a different charge if they do not.
If you own a vehicle that is not registered with the UK, this vehicle will also have to meet ULEZ criteria. You must also register your vehicle with the EPC plc.
With the exception of Christmas Day, the ULEZ is in operation 24/7, 7 days a week, every day of the year.
9 out of 10 cars driving in outer London already meet the ULEZ standards.
Why is the ULEZ expanding?
London Mayor Sadiq Khan is behind the ULEZ expansion.
From August 29th, the ULEZ will expand to include every borough in London. The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has led the decision. This is due to data from the London Atmospheric Emissions Inventory, which shows that road transport is still the biggest contributor of nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter emissions in Greater London. Moreover, Greater London is seeing an even higher number of deaths related to air pollution than central London.
Nine out of ten cars driving in outer London already meet the ULEZ standards. To see if your vehicle does, go to the checker here. If your car does not meet the standards and you drive any of the London boroughs, then you must pay the £12.50 charge. This applies to residents of the ULEZ and non-residents alike. However, if your car is parked and you do not drive it, then you do not have to pay the charge.
Furthermore, if you own a car that is non-UK registered, then you must still meet the ULEZ criteria and register with the EPC plc.
The Mayor of London has also funded a scrappage scheme. For select people, namely those on low income or disability benefits, eligible small and micro businesses, this is an offering of financial assistance for swapping a vehicle that does not meet the ULEZ criteria for a greener alternative.
Pushback against the ULEZ expansion
The Conservative outer London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Harrow and Hillingdon with Surrey County Council launched legal action against the expansion of the ULEZ in February. They argued that the Mayor of London lacked the legal power to order the expansion and that there was an “unfair and unlawful” approach to collecting views on the plans, according to the Evening Standard. However, on July 28th, Mr Justice Swift dismissed the councils’ case. He said that the expansion was within the Mayor’s powers. The councils also disputed the scrappage scheme, but that too, has been ruled as lawful.
Continued pushback
MP for Slough, Tan Dhesi, has argued for the scrappage scheme to be expanded to include Slough. Given that many commute from Slough to London for work every day, it is felt that they are disproportionately impacted by the policy change.
According to the BBC, Surrey County Council, who were part of the pushback against the ULEZ expansion, have informed Transport for London that warning cameras and signs about the ULEZ will not be allowed on the roads in the county. They have said that this is because there isn’t any mitigation in place to minimise the impact of the expansion on Surrey residents. Speaking to BBC Radio Surrey, the deputy mayor for the environment and energy, said that this “increases the likelihood their residents could accidentally incur a fine”.
So, the new borders of the ULEZ will reach Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent and Surrey.
Sources: Keeping London moving – Transport for London (tfl.gov.uk), London Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (LAEI) 2019 – London Datastore, London news | London Evening Standard, Home – BBC News.
