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LONDON EMISSIONS: Cleaning up the town

Date: 07 May 2013

The proposal would see central London populated by cars such as the Toyota Prius Plug-in.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson has announced bold new plans for a world-first ultra low-emissions zone in the capital. Jack Carfrae reports on what that would mean for businesses and vehicle use in the city.

The capital's Congestion Charge has now clocked up a decade in operation, while any business with commercial vehicles operating in and out of the Greater London area will be more than familiar with the Low Emissions Zone (LEZ).

In February, London announced that it was getting even more serious about cleaning up its act with plans to create the world's first ultra low-emissions zone. In a speech at City Hall, mayor Boris Johnson said the move, which encompasses numerous tweaks to existing air quality, transport and other policies, would "deliver dramatic benefits in air quality" and encourage the take-up of plug-in vehicles in the city.

Addressing delegates, he said: "My vision is a central zone where almost all the vehicles running during working hours are either zero or low emission. This would deliver incredible benefits in air quality and stimulate the delivery and mass use of low-emission technology."

Transport for London has been tasked with investigating plans for a scheme of a similar ilk to the Congestion Charge that would mean all vehicles driving in central London during working hours would have next to no emissions. No specific plans or legislation have been set out, but the mayor has expressed his keenness to have such a scheme up and running by 2020. 


LONDON ULTRA LOW-EMISSION ZONE 2020 LOWDOWN

1) Phase five of the LEZ to come into force in 2015, but will now only apply to Transport for London's fleet of buses, not to all vehicles as had previously been the case. Predicted £350 million cost savings for businesses as a result, but a question mark hangs over actual air quality improvements.
2) TfL drawing up plans for a Congestion Charge-style system that would allow only zero- or ultra low-emissions vehicles into the city centre during working hours. Full plans and legislation have yet to be confirmed, but the mayor wants it in action by 2020.
3) £20 million ring-fenced for tackling local air pollution "hotspots" over the next decade. The first £2 million is to be available to the capital's boroughs. Businesses that have working partnerships with London boroughs will be eligible to bid for a proportion of the funding to develop schemes to address air quality.
4) New low-emission regulations to apply to construction machinery. Exact legislation will be confirmed after consultations with the construction industry. Dust suppressants are also to be employed at industrial sites.
5) Zero-emission London taxi to be introduced. Working examples already exist, which the mayor "would be delighted to see manufactured in the capital".
6) All central London buses to be hybrids by 2020. Plans to roll out more hybrid buses in the short term and for the entire bus fleet to meet Euro4 emissions standards by 2015, and Euro6 soon afterwards.
7) Further energy-saving measures to be "encouraged" in the workplace and other public and domestic areas.

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