300 ULEZ advance warning signs go up in London

Transport for London (TfL) has begun installing more than 300 Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) warning signs across central London.

The signs, which are being installed at the same locations as existing Congestion Charge signs, warn drivers at all entry points to the zone, and on a number of key approach routes, to ensure their vehicle meets the tough new emission standards that come in to effect next year.

TfL has been running an extensive communications campaign since the spring to prepare drivers for the ULEZ. It has sent more than 2.5 million emails and contacted registered Congestion Charge users whose vehicles do not meet the ULEZ standards, to remind them the new zone begins on 8 April, 2019.

TfL is also contacting other drivers it identifies in central London whose vehicles are not currently ULEZ-compliant. That, it said, had helped encourage 1.3 million visits to TfL’s online compliance checker, where people could check if their vehicle complied with the ULEZ emission standards.

The ULEZ will help take the most polluted vehicles off London’s streets and is a central part of the London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s work to make the city a healthier, greener place by tackling the severe health impacts caused by polluted air.

To discourage the use of the most polluting vehicles, drivers travelling within the zone and using non-compliant vehicles, will need to pay a daily ULEZ charge of £12.50, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They include:

• Motorbikes that do not meet Euro 3 standards (roughly the equivalent of not being more than 12 years old in 2019)
• Petrol cars and vans that do not meet Euro 4 standards (roughly the equivalent of not being more than 13 years old in 2019)
• Diesel cars and vans that do not meet Euro 6 standards (roughly the equivalent of not being more than four years old in 2019)
• Buses, coaches and lorries will need to meet or exceed the Euro VI standard or pay £100 a day

Nick Fairholme, director of project and programme delivery at TfL, said: “We are committed to tackling the public health crisis that is London’s toxic air. It affects all Londoners, causing 9,000 premature deaths every year and reducing the quality of life for thousands more.

“We’re working hard to prepare Londoners for the ULEZ and to encourage them to opt for vehicles that emit fewer pollutants or walk, cycle or use public transport. We know that many people are aware, with more than 1.3 million checks of vehicles’ compliance on our website.

“These new signs will be a physical reminder that the ULEZ is coming, but we won’t stop there. We’ve contacted registered Congestion Charge users and are currently contacting other vehicle owners who drive in central London.”