London’s ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) — a plan to fight toxic air in the city — will on Tuesday expand to Greater London.
The policy, drawn up under Boris Johnson’s mayoral term and extended by Sadiq Khan in 2021, sees the oldest, most polluting vehicles pay a daily charge starting at £12.50. The majority of cars are exempt.
London’s Ulez expansion has attracted controversy, as some diesel cars and vans less than ten years’ old are non-compliant. They were previously seen as efficient but after the dieselgate scandal are now known to be highly polluting.
Khan says pollution disproportionally impacts London’s poorest. Toxic air caused an estimated 4,000 premature deaths in 2019, according to Imperial College London’s Environmental Research Group.
There are also low emission zones (Lez) or clean air zones (Caz) to tackle toxic air in other UK cities such as Bath, Birmingham, Bristol, Oxford, Glasgow, Portsmouth and Bradford, with more planned.
We want to hear from you. Do you live in a UK city with a low emission zone? What impact has it had on you? If you live in London, what are your thoughts on the Ulez expansion?
