The mayor of London last week vowed to press ahead with expanding the controversial ultra low emission zone (Ulez) after five councils lost their High Court bid to stop him.
The Ulez zone is set to expand on 29 August after what Sadiq Khan hailed as a “landmark decision” to dismiss the challenge against his plans to extend it beyond the North and South Circular roads to include the whole of the city.
Mr Khan said the decision to expand Ulez, which charges drivers a daily fee if their vehicles do not meet minimum emissions standards, was “very difficult and not something I took lightly”.
Friday’s ruling comes in the wake of the Uxbridge and South Ruislip parliamentary by-election earlier this month, where Labour’s failure to win ex-prime minister Boris Johnson’s seat was blamed on concerns around the expansion of Ulez.
Mr Khan described last week’s High Court judgment as a “landmark decision”— (Getty Images)
The court’s decision last week was met with criticism, with Bromley Council leader Colin Smith saying the judge’s decision “cannot be disguised as anything other than bitter disappointment for motorists”.
Susan Hall, the Conservative Party’s candidate for the London mayor election in May next year, said the ruling was “a shame” and reiterated her pledge to “stop the Ulez expansion on day one” if elected.
Here, we take a look at what the scheme is and which areas it is expanding to:
What is Ulez?
Ulez, London’s ultra low emission zone, aims to take higher polluting vehicles off the roads. It runs 24 hours a day on every day of the year except 25 December.
If the vehicle does not meet the Ulez emission standard and is not exempt, vehicle owners will be charged £12.50 daily to drive within the zone.
Lorries, buses, coaches and heavy vans that are non-compliant are charged £100 under the separate low-emission zone scheme, which already covers most of London.
The only way to avoid the charge is by ensuring your vehicle meets the minimum emissions standards.
Drivers in outer London will pay a £12.50 daily fee if their vehicles do not meet required emissions standards— (PA Wire)
Transport for London (TfL) says nine out of 10 cars seen driving in outer London on an average day meet the Ulez standards, so will not be liable for the charge.
But Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency figures obtained by the RAC show 691,559 licensed cars in the whole of London are likely to be non-compliant. This does not take into account other vehicles such as vans and lorries, or vehicles which enter London from neighbouring counties such as Essex, Hertfordshire, Surrey and Kent.
Is my car Ulez-compliant?
To be Ulez compliant, petrol cars must meet Euro 4 emissions standards. According to Motorway.co.uk, most petrol cars registered after January 2006 meet these standards. Petrol cars that meet Euro 5 and 6 are exempt from paying charges.
The website states to be Ulez compliant, diesel cars must meet Euro 6 standards. It adds: “Most diesel cars registered since September 2015 meet these standards, though some earlier models will also be compliant”.
“The Euro standards are the European emissions rules brought in to reduce the amount of pollution generated by cars. Specifically, they target nitrogen oxide (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrocarbons (THC and NMHC) and particulate matter (PM),” it added.
To find out if your vehicle meets emissions and safety standards or if you need to pay a daily charge, you can head onto the TFL website and enter your number plate here.
Where is Ulez currently?
Ulez was first introduced in 2019 and only initially covered a small area of central London - known as the congestion charge zone.
On 25 October 2021, the mayor expanded Ulez, making it larger than the central London zone and including boroughs in inner London like Tower Hamlets and Southwark.
Where will the planned Ulez expansion cover?
Mr Khan is extending the scheme to cover all London boroughs from 29 August, taking the Ulez zone up to the capital’s borders with Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent and Surrey.
Areas that will be impacted include Edgware, Harrow, Wembley, Greenford, Hayes, Brentford, Southall, Twickenham, Mitcham, Croydon, Bromley, Romford, Hornchurch and more.
Here is a map of the expansion:
What support is there for people hit by Ulez costs?
The mayor of London has funded a £110m scrappage scheme, which provides financial assistance to help Londoners who are eligible to scrap their non-compliant vehicles to prepare for the expansion of Ulez.
Mr Khan launched the scheme to assist people on lower incomes, small businesses, charities, sole traders and people with disabilities.
Applicants who are eligible can get up to £2,000 for scrapping a car or up to £1,000 for scrapping a motorcycle. For wheelchair-accessible vehicles, there is a payment of £5,000 to scrap or retrofit to the Ulez standards.
For more information on the scheme, head to the TFL website.
Additional reporting from agencies
