London Mayor Sadiq Khan has set out his 'Clean Air Action Plan', in which the introduction of the Ultra Low Emission Zone is brought forward to 2019 from 2020 and owners of old, high pollution diesels could be incentivised to buy a new car.
The key points in the plan include:
- Implementing a £10 Emissions Surcharge (dubbed the ‘T-charge’) on the most polluting vehicles entering central London from 2017. The charge would apply to all vehicles with pre-Euro 4 emission standards (broadly speaking those registered before 2005) and will cost an extra £10 per day on top of the existing Congestion Charge.
- Introducing the central London Ultra-Low Emission Zone one year earlier in 2019
- Extending the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (‘ULEZ’) beyond central London from 2020: for motorcycles, cars and vans, to the North and South Circular; and for lorries, buses and coaches London-wide
- Developing a detailed proposal for a national diesel scrappage scheme for Government to implement
- Bringing forward the requirement for all double–deck buses to be ULEZ-compliant in central London from 2020 to 2019
The public have until Friday July 29 2016 to feed back on the first round of the consultation, further more detailed consultation will take place later this year and some measures could be implemented as early as 2017.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “With nearly 10,000 people dying early every year in London due to exposure to air pollution, cleaning up London’s toxic air is now an issue of life and death.
“It is the 60th anniversary of the Clean Air Act of 1956, which was passed following the great London smogs of the 1950s. The legislation made a huge difference to life in London and saved countless lives. British politicians at the time did an amazing thing and responded on the scale that was required.
"Today we face another pollution public health emergency in London and now it’s our turn to act for the good of Londoners and for future generations to come.
“Just as in the 1950s, air pollution in London today is literally killing Londoners. But unlike the smoky pollution of the past, today’s pollution is a hidden killer.
“That’s why I’m launching a hard-hitting plan of action to clean up our filthy air. Tough challenges call for tough measures, so I’m proposing a new £10 charge for the most polluting vehicles in central London from 2017, followed by an even stronger crackdown on vehicles pumping out hazardous pollutants.
“I am also calling on the Government to work with me and to take more action to tackle air pollution. We can’t do this alone in London. The Government should seize the spirit of the 60th anniversary of the Clean Air Act and pass new legislation fit for the 21st century. This needs to provide new powers and legal protections to ensure that the existing legal limits for air pollutants are retained following Brexit.”
As editor, Tim is responsible for the media content, planning and production of AM's multiple channels (AM print and digital magazines, website, social media and contributing to our events planning). He interviews and writes about as many franchised dealer groups and UK divisions of motor manufacturers as possible, to explore the issues facing UK motor retail and understand what solutions dealers and suppliers are using to overcome these.
Motorman - 07/07/2016 13:09
The constant development of the Diesel emission systems and their suitability for urban inner city congested areas delivers up the same advantages. i.e.Diesel Car/ Van and LCV's fitted with exhaust filters (DPF/ CAT/ FAPs etc.) in the main are not suitable for slow moving congested journeys and therefore will be more susceptible to regeneration failures and filter blockages. Surely it would make more or better sense to bring in some of this legislation but also incentivised the drivers and vehicle sellers (OEM's Independent's) to guide and educate the purchaser that Diesel is not a good option for inner city London because of the above and explain the adverse effect they have on air quality, It would be nice to think all the money raised by Mr Khan was directed to this proposal, we will see. No mention regarding the fall out this action could have on the UK economy, automotive sector and the plummeting value of second hand diesel vehicles.