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Capital's emergency services concerned with cost of ULEZ compliance

Date: 22 March 2017   |   Author: Daniel Puddicombe

London's emergency services have admitted they will struggle to meet the deadline to comply with the Ultra-Low Emission Zone, results from a Freedom of Information request has revealed.

This revelation means London's police, fire and ambulance services could be hit with millions of pounds' worth of charges a year.

The capital's Ultra-Low Emission Zone is set to come into force in September 2019 and drivers of non-Euro6 vehicles will be charged £12.50 a day on top of the £11.50 Congestion Charge.

At present, the ULEZ is expected to occupy the same area as the C-Charge, but mayor Sadiq Khan wants it to extend to the North and South Circular roads.

Information obtained by London Assembly member Shaun Bailey found the emergency services are concerned about the introduction of the zone, which is being brought forward by a year from its original 2020 roll-out by Khan.

According to the FoI, the Metropolitan Police said it would need to replace 82% of its 5,090-strong fleet in order to comply with the zone, but thanks to tight budgets, it expects 800 vehicles will face the daily charges.

Speaking to BusinessCar earlier this month, Jiggs Bharij, head of fleet for the Metropolitan Police, said 85% of his fleet would be compliant by the deadline.

The London Fire Brigade, meanwhile, told Bailey it would have 52 non-compliant vehicles on the roads should the mayor launch the zone in 2019, while the capital's ambulance service claimed it would have 855 non-compliant vehicles on its books.

"It seems unbelievable that our emergency services are not exempt from this pollution tax given their whole reason for driving in London is to save lives," Bailey said. "The consultation responses I've uncovered show our emergency services are concerned. The mayor should immediately give them an exemption or at least provide some flexibility on their compliance."
 
He added: "These services cannot and should not be hit with a financial burden stretching into the millions of pounds when their travel is so vital and their environmental impact so minimal."



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