ULEZ: Number of polluting cars in London drops as 60,000 drivers hit by charge
The number of polluting cars in London has dropped by nearly half since Sadiq Khan’s controversial decision to expand the ULEZ zone in August.
The figure for non-compliant vehicles driving in the capital on an average day fell by 77,000 in the first month of operation, a reduction of 45 per cent when compared with June 2023.
Transport for London (TfL), who released the data on Tuesday, also found that 95 per cent of vehicles driving on the outskirts of the city complied with clean air standards and would be free from paying the £12.50 charge.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan faced a legal showdown in August to bring the new ULEZ zone into force after challenges from five Tory-led boroughs.
Speaking today, Khan said: “I’ve always said that the decision to expand the ULEZ was very difficult, but a month on from the expansion we can already see that it is working.”
“This data is a testament to the huge progress we’ve made in tackling toxic air pollution since I was first elected in 2016. Londoners are experiencing a greener, cleaner, and healthier city.”
The figures reveal that in the first month, around 60,000 vehicles paid the fee each day on average, which is around three per cent of the total vehicles driven in London and would take revenues to around £24m.
TfL said it had issued 13,480 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) between September 26 and September 30, with FPNs currently set at £180, or £90 if paid within two weeks.
The ULEZ expansion has become a central talking point in the run up to the general election. Labour’s surprise by-election defeat at Uxbridge in July factored in both the Labour Party and the Conservatives’ decision to temper certain green policies.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has now delayed a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles until 2035, to the fury of many automakers in the UK.
Christina Calderato, TfL’s director of strategy and policy, said the scheme had been “transformative” for air quality standards, although the report said it was too early to be certain of the true impact.
“The ULEZ is highly effective in taking the oldest, most polluting vehicles off the roads with nearly 80,000 fewer driving in London since this June alone, and a 56 percentage point increase in vehicles meeting the standards since 2017,” Calderato said.