A third fewer polluting vehicles entered central London during ULEZ first four months - report
Wed 18 September 2019
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An analysis of the early impacts of London's new Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) found that in the first four months of its operation (March – July 2019) there was a reduction of 12,524 older, more polluting, non-compliant vehicles detected in the zone: a reduction of over a third.
The analysis also found that in July 2019 the average compliance rate with the ULEZ standards was around 73 per cent in congestion charging hours and 75 per cent in a 24 hour period. This is much higher than 39 per cent in February 2017 and the 61 per cent in March 2019 (congestion charging hours).
The ULEZ is a 24-hour scheme, however, historic data was collected during congestion charging (CC) hours only – 07:00 to 18:00, Monday to Friday, to ensure that comparisons with pre-ULEZ data was fair.
The report also reveals that the daily charges, which are £12.50 for non-compliant cars, motorcycles and vans and a £100 for lorries, buses/coaches, has raised £51m for City Hall to spend on green transport initiatives.
Air Quality News reports that the London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, plans to expand the zone’s boundary in 2021 should he be re-elected next year.
In July, a new network of air pollution sensors in London detected illegal levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) at 40% of its locations during the first eight months of them operating.
Breathe London, which is a City Hall-backed project, has seen 100 fixed sensors placed in locations across the capital which found levels of pollution exceeding legal limits not only in central London but also outer boroughs such as Barking, Kingston and Hillingdon.
In related news, LowCVP and EST have recently announced the first approval for a Clean Vehicle Retrofit Scheme for trucks. Approved to ULEZ, CAZ and (Scottish) low emission zone requriements, the CVRAS-approved systems enable older (pre Euro VI) vehicles to meet the exacting emission standards of the zones and gain exemption from the charges. (More information here.)
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