Forum Topic

Ulez expansion led to significant drop in air pollutants in London.

Levels of harmful air pollutants have dropped significantly since the ultra-low emission zone was enlarged to cover Greater London last year, according to a report from city hall.Analysis covering the first six months since the Ulez expansion found that total emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from cars across London were 13% lower than projected had the scheme remained confined to inner London, while NOx from vans was 7% lower.Levels of particulate pollution in the form of PM2.5 exhaust emissions from cars in outer London are an estimated 22% lower than without the expansion.The total change was equivalent to removing 200,000 cars from the road for one year, the report said.https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/jul/25/ulez-expansion-led-to-significant-drop-in-air-pollutants-in-london-report-findsBravo Sadiq for sticking out with a bold move.

Francis Sheehan ● 122d18 Comments

Assuming said tradespeople have all charged their clients VAT and not gone for cash in hand, then they might have a scintilla of an argument.

Stewart Jones ● 96d

Assuming they aren't tradespeople and haven't gone bust trying to raise the £25k+ to replace their ''dirty '' vehicle!

peter king ● 96d

'according to a report from city hall.'No further questions.

Mike Paterson ● 98d

I think this is a good thing because people have had sufficient time to replace their old polluting vehicles. Taxpayers shouldn’t be expected to fund this any longer. https://www.aol.co.uk/sadiq-khan-close-ulez-scrappage-050033433.html

Steve Taylor ● 100d

Ok so it may be dubious but if ULEZ pushes people with old polluting bangers to get rid of them, it can’t be a bad thing can it?  I can’t see why people have a problem with it.

Steve Taylor ● 103d

You can read can't you? I have no idea what the results were, I'm just saying praising your own work is hardly rigorous examination, at best its dubious.

V Killick ● 103d

Are you saying that  you have evidence to suggest that ULEZ hasn’t led to a significant drop in air pollutants?

Steve Taylor ● 110d

Of course a report from City Hall is going to be full of praise for a policy also from them.  I'd expect nothing less.

V Killick ● 111d

Predicted ? Despite the naysayers saying it was all a money raising scam and a tax on the motorist from the Mayor and one contributor to this forum calling on people to march against ULEZ.All gone quiet now. Well done Sadiq Khan.

David Burke ● 121d

“ why there isn't a major campaign to remove gas hobs from unventilated kitchens. ”There is. There won’t be gas in homes  by 2050

Steve Taylor ● 121d

PM2.5 levels will also have dropped, but some micro pollutant levels are actually higher from electric vehicles as they are heavier and erode both their tyres and the road surface quicker.

N V Brooks ● 121d

Is there any correlation between levels of NO2 emitted by ICE vehicles and other pollutants?

Andrew Jones ● 121d

I still don't understand why, if nitrogen dioxide is so toxic, why there isn't a major campaign to remove gas hobs from unventilated kitchens. Such a scenario exposes someone to levels far higher than they would be breathing in if they were standing in the middle of the Hogarth Roundabout when it was logjammed.

Jeremy Parkinson ● 122d

As the noisiest grievance monger in Chiswick, Humpty, your influence does not seem to have reached our local politicians. You should have worn your helmet !

Richard Greenhough ● 122d

Great news. It's mind boggling that local politicians made opposition to improving air quality the focus of their failed campaigns in recent elections. Too influenced by the noisy grievance mongers.

Paul Campbell ● 122d

Wholly agree, Steve. I've recently returned from a work trip to Sarajevo and the Caucasus, where unfortunately locals don't have the same means to improve their vehicles as over here, and the difference in air quality (and stuff coming out of the tailpipes) was just staggering. I'm told it's even worse when they add coal/diesel heating to the mix.

Francis Sheehan ● 122d

I don't know what I'm missing but I have never understood the massive fuss about ULEZ from drivers of the most polluting vehicles. It really was a no-brainer to remove these from the road. In so doing it was obvious that pollutant levels would fall. Further decreases should be easily achieved by removing many of the traffic restrictions imposed to cater for minority suburban transport activities like cycling. I am not talking of the cycle super highways but the terribly disjointed provision of short stretches of cycleway with the commensurate removal of up to half of the available road space for other traffic. Badly planned and poorly implemented.

N V Brooks ● 122d

Absolutely as predicted but good news all the same. Hopefully more people with polluting vehicles will get them off the roads and stop polluting London. If not, fines should be doubled.

Steve Taylor ● 122d

Yes, Bravo Sadiq.Despite the £90 fine I received.

Sonia Beddington ● 122d