18 June 2018

London to expand ULEZ as Scotland announces four city clean air zones by 2020

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has confirmed that the capital's Ultra-Low Emission Zone will be expanded up to the North and South Circular Roads boundary in 2021.

Meanwhile, low emission zones are to be introduced into Scotland's four biggest cities - Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee - between 2018 and 2020, the Scottish Government has confirmed in introducing the Transport (Scotland) Bill.

The new Ultra-Low Emission Zone will cover an area 18 times larger than the Central London Ultra Low Emission Zone, which is being introduced on April 8, 2019.

The expansion, said the Mayor, would affect large numbers of polluting vehicles that don't comply with strict emission standards. It is estimated that 100,000 cars, 35,000 vans and 3,000 lorries might be affected by the expanded zone and tighter standards every day.

The expanded zone will be managed in the same way as the central London Ultra-Low Emission Zone, and will operate on top of the congestion charge, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Drivers within the expanded Zone using non-compliant vehicles will pay a daily Ultra-Low Emission Zone charge of £12.50, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Charges will apply to vehicles that include:

· Petrol cars and vans that do not meet Euro4 standards (roughly the equivalent to not being more than 15 years old for cars in 2021)

· Diesel cars and vans that do not meet Euro6 standards (roughly the equivalent to not being more than six years old for cars in 2021)

· Motorbikes that do not meet Euro3 emission standards.

Following a consultation, the Mayor will also tighten the standards for the most polluting heavy vehicles including buses, coaches and lorries across the whole of London from October 2020, using the same boundary as the existing Low Emission Zone. Across London diesel buses, coaches and lorries will need to meet the Euro VI standard or a £100 daily charge will apply to Euro IV or Euro V vehicles and a £300 daily charge to older models.

Mr Khan, said: "I promised hard-hitting measures to tackle our shameful air pollution and City Hall is confirming the next stage of our plans to expand the Ultra-Low Emission Zone up to the North and South Circular Roads. An expanded Ultra-Low Emission Zone, in conjunction with the Central London Ultra-Low Emission Zone, will really help transform the air that millions of Londoners breathe."

The Mayor has decided to give disabled tax class vehicles and specially adapted private hire vehicles until October 2025 to replace their vehicles to ensure they are compliant with entry criteria. That gives these vehicles an extra 6.5 years from the start of the central London Ultra-Low Emission Zone or four years from the start of the expanded Ultra-Low Emission Zone to comply. Similarly, charities have been given a longer period of time to replace existing minibuses. They will have a two-year sunset until October 2023.

Meanwhile Scotland's Transport Bill enables the creation and civil enforcement of low emission zones by local authorities, and will allow the Scottish Government to set consistent national standards for a number of key aspects including, but not limited to, emissions, penalties, certain exemptions and parameters for grace periods for low emission zones.