London Assembly members have urged the Mayor to speed up plans to introduce an Ultra-Low Emission Zone in central London and to widen the number of vehicles covered by it.
In February Mayor Boris Johnson instructed Transport for London to investigate the feasibility of introducing the Zone, which would require vehicles entering it to emit zero or low emissions or face a daily fine, from 2020.
However Assembly Members want the Mayor to explore ways to introduce the Zone sooner to help reduce the 4,000 premature deaths each year attributed to to air pollution.
The Assembly’s Environment Committee also wants him to reconsider plans for the Zone to apply only to new vehicles registered from its implementation date, and not to vehicles already on the road.
Committee Chair Murad Qureshi AM said: “With thousands of Londoners dying prematurely each year because of air pollution, action is needed to clean up the capital. The Ultra-Low Emission Zone may be an effective tool to improve air quality, but only if it is strong enough to make a difference.
“We urge the Mayor and his team to see if action can be taken sooner to protect Londoners from harmful effects of air pollution and look carefully at the most effective options, including creating a zone that applies to all vehicles.“
