Since its launch at the end of August, London’s Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) expansion, covering the entire outer London area, has proven to be a significant success. Newly released data, analyzed by the BBC and provided by Transport for London (TfL), sheds light on the impact it has had on the city’s residents and the environment.
In just the first month of the expanded ULEZ operation, over 57,000 drivers stepped up to pay the daily charge of £12.50 for entering areas now under ULEZ regulations. This fee applies to vehicles that don’t meet ULEZ compliance standards, which are typically diesel cars manufactured before approximately 2016 and petrol cars built before around 2006, with some exceptions.
The data also reveals that the percentage of ULEZ-compliant vehicles in the outer London boroughs where the expansion was implemented soared from 85% to an impressive 95%. London Mayor Sadiq Khan hails this as clear evidence of the scheme’s success in its primary mission of enhancing air quality.
“The decision to expand the ULEZ was a challenging one,” Mayor Khan stated, “but just one month into the expansion, the results speak for themselves.”
For those who neglect to pay the daily ULEZ charge, the consequences include a Penalty Charge Notice. Enforcement of these notices began on September 26, following a grace period with warning letters. The data shows that enforcement fines ranging from £1.2 million to £2.4 million were collected between September 26 and September 30, depending on whether payments were made within 14 or 28 days.
Interestingly, compliance rates for vans have been notably lower compared to cars, with TfL estimating that about one in seven vans entering the zone remained non-compliant, while over 96% of cars adhered to the regulations.
An additional update relates to the TfL vehicle scrappage scheme, which has already allocated £120 million of its £160 million total funding to individuals and businesses looking to replace their older vehicles with ULEZ-compliant models. To date, 37,000 claims have been made under the scheme by individuals seeking to swap their non-compliant cars for cleaner alternatives.
