New report shows ULEZ expansion is working with 95 per cent of vehicles across inner and outer London now compliant with clean air standards  

• New data shows 10 percentage point increase in vehicle compliance in outer London – from 85 per cent compliance when Mayor announced ULEZ expansion consultation in May 2022 to 95 per cent compliance now.
• In 2017, before the Mayor introduced the first clean air measure, the Toxicity Charge, compliance across London was just 39 per cent - it’s now 95 percent.
• Since expanding London-wide, outer London vehicle compliance rates have nearly caught up with inner London - bringing cleaner air to five million more Londoners.
• More than 37,200 Londoners and London businesses and charities already benefitted from scrappage, with millions of pounds of support still available.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has welcomed a new ‘one-month on’ report, released today, showing that the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) expansion has been highly effective at reducing the number of older, more polluting vehicles seen driving in London since it expanded to cover every borough of the city on 29 August 2023.

Its key findings reveal:

• Across both inner and outer London, 95 per cent of vehicles overall seen driving in London on an average day now comply with the ULEZ emissions standards, up from 39 per cent compliance London-wide in February 2017 when the Mayor confirmed the introduction of the Toxicity Charge (T-Charge) as a stepping stone towards the ULEZ.

• The number of older, more polluting non-compliant vehicles seen driving in London on an average day has decreased by 77,000 compared to June 2023- a reduction of 45 per cent.

• In outer London there has been a 10 percentage point increase in compliance since the launch of the consultation to expand the ULEZ across all London boroughs. 85 per cent of vehicles seen driving in outer London on an average day were compliant at the start of the consultation in May 2022, and compliance has now increased to 95 per cent.

• Outer London vehicle compliance jumped notably once the scheme was ‘turned on’ on 29 August. In June 2023 compliance across all vehicles seen driving in outer London was at 90.9 per cent. The effect of ‘turning on’ the ULEZ expansion led to a four percentage points jump in compliance, to 95.2 per cent in September 2023.

• After just one month, compliance rates across all vehicle types in outer London have nearly caught up with inner London. 96.4 per cent of cars seen driving in outer London are now compliant, compared to 96.9 per cent of cars seen driving in inner London. Car compliance in outer London has increased from 90 per cent in November 2022 when the Mayor announced the decision to expand the ULEZ London-wide, and 44 per cent in 2017.

The newly expanded ULEZ is one of the world’s most ambitious efforts to combat urban air pollution. Measuring 1,500km² and covering the whole capital with a population of over nine million people, it is the largest urban anti-pollution zone of its kind on Earth. The highly targeted scheme is designed to take the most polluting vehicles off London’s roads, helping nine million people to breathe cleaner air.

Road traffic is the primary source of air pollution in London, which experts say is the single greatest environmental threat to public health. Toxic air is leading to children growing up with stunted lungs, and is associated with an increased risk of asthma, heart and lung disease, cancer and dementia and around 4,000 premature deaths every year in London. The impact of air pollution is also profoundly unequal, hitting London’s poorest and Black, Asian, and minority ethnic communities the hardest.

Nitrogen oxides emissions from cars are expected to decrease by 10 per cent by the end of 2023 because of the ULEZ expansion, helping to make London a greener, fairer, and healthier city. The impact of the ULEZ expansion on both emissions and pollutant concentrations will be reported in 2024.

A major public awareness campaign has been underway since January 2023 to prepare individuals, charities, and businesses for the London-wide ULEZ expansion. Transport for London (TfL)’s online vehicle checker webpage has been visited more than 20.5 million times since the Mayor announced the decision to expand the ULEZ in November 2022. Over one million letters were sent to owners of non-compliant vehicles driving inside the zone ahead of the expansion.

The Mayor has also funded a £160 million scrappage and retrofit scheme to help Londoners, small businesses and charities switch to cleaner, greener modes of transport—the largest programme of its kind in the UK. This is in addition to an expanded set of temporary exemptions (“grace periods”) for those who live inside and outside of London to support disabled people, community transport minibuses and businesses and charities with brand-new compliant vehicles or retrofit solutions on order. This is despite London and those outside London receiving no help from the national government, unlike every other clean air scheme in the country.

In August 2023, TfL expanded the eligibility of the scrappage scheme, meaning all Londoners can now apply for up to £2,000 to scrap a car or up to £1,000 to scrap a motorcycle, with millions of pounds of support still available. Small businesses and charities are eligible to receive increased grant payments of between £6,000 and £11,500. Data revealed today that the scrappage scheme has resulted in:

• Over £121 million in funds committed to date to help London residents, small businesses and charities to transition to greener alternatives, including more than £49 million to scrap cars and motorcycles and more than £72 million to scrap vans and minibuses

• More than 37,200 Londoners and London businesses and charities have had their applications for scrappage grants for the outer London expansion approved to date to remove older, more polluting vehicles from London’s roads, with thousands of new applications being received and processed each week.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I’ve always said that the decision to expand the ULEZ was very difficult, but a month on from the expansion we can already see that it is working.  London is now home to the world’s largest clean air zone and this new data shows 95 per cent of vehicles seen driving in London on an average day now comply with our air quality standards – a 10 percentage point increase since I began to consult on the ULEZ expansion in May 2022. This will make a huge difference to the lives and health of Londoners.

“More than 19 in 20 vehicles on London’s roads are now compliant and do not need to pay the daily ULEZ  charge. For the remaining Londoners still driving non-compliant vehicles, millions of pounds of scrappage scheme support is still available. Take-up has been incredible, with 37,256 grants approved for Londoners to date for the outer London expansion alone, and I encourage anyone affected by the ULEZ to apply today for support. 

“This data is a testament to the huge progress we’ve made in tackling toxic air pollution since I was first elected in 2016. Londoners are experiencing a greener, cleaner, and healthier city.

“I am determined to do all I can to ensure that Londoners now and the next generation can grow up breathing cleaner air, wherever they live in the capital.”

Christina Calderato, TfL’s Director of Strategy and Policy, said “Following the first month of the ULEZ expansion, it’s great to see that 95 per cent of the vehicles driving in the capital comply with the scheme’s transformative air quality standards. The ULEZ is highly effective in taking the oldest, most polluting vehicles off the roads with nearly 80,000 fewer driving in London since this June alone, and a 56 percentage point increase in vehicles meeting the standards since 2017.

“We know that tackling London’s toxic air is crucial to ensuring the health of those who live in the capital and that the greatest number of deaths attributable to air pollution occur in outer London. Air pollution is associated with increased risks of asthma, cancer and dementia, and disproportionately affects poorer Londoners, and those from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.

“To support the transition to greener journeys in the city, TfL has committed over £121 million from the Mayor’s £160m scrappage funds to help Londoners and London-based small businesses and charities scrap their non-compliant vehicles. Millions are still available in the fund and we urge those living in the capital who own a non-compliant vehicle to apply for the support available.”

Hirra Khan Adeogun, Co-Director of climate charity Possible said: "This new report shows that taking action to cut traffic and tackle air pollution has brought huge benefits to millions more Londoners. This success should give politicians from all parties courage in their conviction to go further and faster in cutting congestion that's choking cities across the country. Let's keep taking the dirtiest cars off the roads, and helping more people get around in greener ways."

Professor Kevin Fenton, London Regional Director, Office for Health Improvement and Disparities said: “I'm pleased to see that the London-wide ULEZ has been effective at reducing the number and proportion of older, more polluting vehicles seen driving in London on an average day. I'm eager to see the impact that this will go on to have on air pollutant emissions in the capital.

“We know that the whole of London, including the outer London boroughs, exceeds the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for NO2 and PM2.5 pollution and these outer boroughs have the highest number of premature deaths due to toxic air.  That's why cleaning up our city's air has been and must continue to be a high priority, and the ULEZ is an important step in this.

“It’s crucial to reducing the health impacts and disparities seen across communities in our city and protecting the health and wellbeing of all Londoners right now and for future generations.”

Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah CBE said: "The Coroner's report following Ella’s premature death stated that unless action is taken to clean up the air, more people will continue to die from air pollution. The first steps of the expansion of the ULEZ are positive, but there is still so much more to do to reduce air pollution and improve air quality in line with the World Health Organization guidelines, not just in London but for the rest of the UK too."

Henry Gregg, Director of External Affairs at Asthma and Lung UK said: "It's extremely encouraging that the ULEZ expansion across all London boroughs in its first month has seen a reduction in the number of older, more polluting vehicles on an average day in London.

“These results help further demonstrate that schemes such as the ULEZ are instrumental in encouraging people to switch away from older and more polluting vehicles to cleaner forms of transport. The reduction in nitrogen dioxide levels in central London since the ULEZ was first introduced in 2019 shows the positive impact it has at cleaning up the air we breathe.

“The expansion has been a significant stride towards cleaner air for all of us, but particularly for those with living lung conditions. More than 60 per cent of people with a lung condition in London live in the outer boroughs. Air pollution triggers symptoms including breathlessness, coughing and wheezing, and in more severe cases these flare-ups can result in hospitalisation. The expansion of the ULEZ across all London boroughs is a positive step towards all Londoners breathing cleaner air.”

Dr. Anna Moore a Respiratory Doctor in London said: “It's heartening to see that the ULEZ expansion has helped reduce the number of polluting vehicles on the road in London. It not only underscores the policy's immediate success but also hints at the promise it holds for our city's air quality. As a healthcare professional, I have seen the devastating effects of air pollution on respiratory health, so we cannot underestimate that these are crucial steps in cleaning up the air we all breathe.” 

Dr Mark Hayden, Paediatric Consultant, Redbridge said: "Addressing air pollution is vital for safeguarding the health of patients facing challenges like asthma exacerbations and in preventing heart attacks, strokes and premature births. The progress that the ULEZ expansion has achieved in reducing the number of highly polluting vehicles on our roads is an encouraging step in the right direction. It's heartening to see London's commitment to improving air quality, which will lead to better health outcomes for all. Let's continue this positive momentum and address all the causes of toxic air to ensure that all Londoners can breathe clean air and live healthier lives."

John Dickie, Chief Executive of BusinessLDN, said: “The ULEZ expansion and extended scrappage scheme are playing an important role in encouraging Londoners to switch from older vehicles to newer, cleaner models. We urge businesses and households to take advantage of the scrappage scheme, which will help them make the transition. Cleaner air will help London be an even more attractive place to live, work and visit.”

Mitesh, a Scrappage Scheme recipient, said: “I’m based in North West London and used my non-compliant car for family trips. I applied to the Scrappage fund and received a £2,000 grant to help replace my vehicle. It was a straightforward process and I’m pleased that my new, compliant car emits less pollution. The ULEZ is a good thing for the environment, and the recent expansion will help improve the air quality for even more Londoners.”

Mehroz, a Scrappage Scheme recipient, said: “The Scrappage fund has given a lot of people the support they need to make the green transition when the ULEZ expanded. I live in Harrow and owned a non-compliant car. I found it easy to apply for a grant of £2,000 to help me replace it with a compliant vehicle with lower emissions. The process was quick and I was kept updated about my application. With the climate crisis and risks associated with air pollution I think that the ULEZ expansion is a positive thing that has come at the right time.”

Since the ULEZ expanded London-wide, charges have been paid for the majority of non-compliant vehicles (61 per cent). The remainder were non-chargeable (i.e., were registered for a temporary discount or exemption) or were issued a warning notice on their first offence during the first month, recognising that people might make genuine mistakes in the first few weeks of the new scheme. Penalty charge notices are now being issued.

The ULEZ is the centrepiece of the Mayor’s ambitious efforts to improve air quality in London, benefiting public health and helping to combat climate change. These include working towards a fully zero-emission bus fleet, having already created the largest zero-emission bus fleet in western Europe* with over 1,100 on London’s roads - and supporting the delivery of over 17,000 electric vehicle charge points, over one-third of the UK’s total. These additional measures are making a real difference, but all the evidence shows that clean air zones like the ULEZ are the most effective tool available to cut air pollution quickly and meaningfully, having already reduced air pollution in central London by almost 50 per cent and in inner London by a fifth.

In addition to today’s ‘one-month on’ report, the Mayor has committed to publishing further analysis on the impacts of the ULEZ expansion after six and 12 months of operation.

Any net revenue raised through the ULEZ is being reinvested back into public transport, such as in expanding the Superloop network of express bus routes in outer London. The ULEZ is expected not to raise any net revenue by the 2026/2027 financial year as the percentage of compliant vehicles continues to rise.   

ENDS