Khan Plans to Expand ULEZ
The Mayor of London has announced his plans for a further Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) extension.
Mayor Sadiq Khan has asked Transport for London (TfL) to launch a consultation into his plans for the ULEZ extension.
Khan says that the new plans for an extended ULEZ to cover all of London.
This plan is one of 4 options Mr Khan had previously put forward as ways to tackle air quality in the capital.
Other proposals included introducing a Greater London Boundary Charge or a Clean Air Charge for polluting vehicles.
But Khan argued that expanding the current ULEZ is the best option for the current situation.
He says future plans for a pay-as-you-drive scheme are still underway and in development.
Air Pollution
The main aim of this expansion is to continue to reduce air pollution levels in the area.
Mayor Khan says tackling the poor air quality in the city is a matter of “social justice”.
He claims “550,000 Londoners would develop diseases” if air quality isn’t improved in the area within the next 30 years.
This would have damaging knock-on effects including a £10.4 billion cost to the NHS.
A study earlier this year found that NOx rates had reduced by 54%. But Co2 levels had only dropped by 5%.
Backlash
Not everyone agrees that Mr Khan has good intentions. The Mayor has come under fire previously with claims that further extensions are “money-grabbing”.
The London ULEZ launched in 2019. Drivers can expect to face a one-off charge of £12.50 for every day they enter the zone.
Larger vehicles face a £100 daily charge.
According to data from the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government, in its first year of operation, the ULEZ took over £107 million.
The data also showed that Greater London Assembly’s net profits from congestion charges reached £267m. This is an almost £100million increase compared to the year before the ULEZ came into action.
If the ULEZ expanded, the increase in funds would go some way to support TfL.
TfL received its fourth settlement in emergency government funding in February.
The transport authority is one of the many services that are struggling financially since the pandemic saw a huge dip in customs. The funding packages for TfL since March 2020 are now at a total of £5bn.
If the ULEX expansion passes the consultation process it would then face an impact assessment to assess the full effects it would have.
If the plans pass all these processes, the newly expanded ULEZ could come into effect in 2023.
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Khan Plans to Expand ULEZ