London’s Ulez Expansion has come to a step closer with the installation of the first new cameras. The Ultra-Low Emission Zone currently covers the same area as the Congestion Charge Zone and the new cameras will enable it to expand up to the North and South Circular in October 2021 – spreading the benefits of cleaner air across the city.
Thousands of deaths in the capital each year are attributed to poor air quality while emerging evidence suggests there is a link between pollution, higher rates of infection and a worse recovery from coronavirus. The larger zone is vital to ensure that, as London recovers from the coronavirus pandemic, one public health crisis is not replaced with another.
The expanded zone will help all Londoners breathe cleaner air. The ULEZ expansion scheme will reduce harmful nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from road transport by around 30% across the whole city, improving air quality for millions of Londoners.
The world’s first Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) has contributed to a reduction of 44% in roadside nitrogen dioxide in the central London ULEZ zone. In January 44,100 fewer polluting vehicles were being driven in the central zone every day with more than 80% of vehicles in the zone now meeting the ULEZ emissions standards – up from 39% in February 2017. TfL has also seen additional improvements in air quality during the coronavirus lockdown as traffic fell to around half pre-lockdown levels.
What will the expanded zone look like?
