Clearing The Air

The implementation date for the Ultra Low Emission Zone in central London was recently brought forward by 17 months. What effect will this have on trucks in the capital?

- Dan Parton

Cutting back on levels of air pollution was a key part of Sadiq Khan’s manifesto in his successful election campaign to become London mayor. Now, with the planned introduction of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), he is making good on that commitment. But there are worries that it is being brought in too quickly and will penalise haulage firms as a result.

When Khan announced that the ULEZ would be implemented on 8 April 2019 he said: “We can’t continue breathing in air so toxic it harms children’s lung development and causes chronic illness and premature death. I am determined to take the bold action needed to address this scourge once and for all.”

The ULEZ will make a significant difference to air quality, according to Alex Williams, Transport for London’s (TfL) director of city planning. “NOx emissions from road transport will be reduced by around 20% in central London when the ULEZ covering the same area as the Congestion Charge Zone is brought into force in 2019, with over 100,000 fewer people across London living in areas exceeding legal NO2 limits as a result,” he says. [Editor’s note: Polluting NOx, or nitrogen oxide, is a generic term that includes the highly poisonous chemical compound NO2 – nitrogen dioxide.]

Dangerously polluted

The decision to bring the ULEZ implementation date forward was taken after a public consultation, where “63% of people said they supported or strongly supported the proposals that will lead to the significant environmental benefits being felt much sooner”, Williams adds. “London’s air is dangerously polluted and we need to take urgent action to deal with the problem.”