On Monday, London Mayor Sadiq Khan unveiled the world’s first 24-hour Ultra Low Emission Zone boasting the world’s toughest vehicle emissions standards in an effort to help reduce toxic air pollution and protect public health.
London, UK (February 2nd, 2018) – Today, the new Nissan LEAF marked its official UK ‘on sale’ date, parked at the crossroads of London’s first electrified street and one of its most polluted*, Electric Avenue and Brixton Road in Lambeth.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has announced that the city’s Ultra-Low Emission Zone will begin in central London from the 8th of April, 2019, and will reduce lethal air pollution and reduce harmful emissions from up to 60,000 vehicles daily.
London’s long awaited “T-Charge” went into effect in the city last week, effectively limiting access to central London by those driving the oldest and most heavily polluting vehicles still on the road (those not meeting Euro 4 standards). Such vehicles must now pay a £10 daily tax.
London’s air pollution problems seem to growing rapidly in recent years (or perhaps we should say they are returning, depending on how you think of it). Hourly PM2.5 levels now sometimes exceeding those of Beijing, China. Nitrogen dioxide (NOx) levels have been surging well beyond EU legal limits (over a 5 day period in January, NOx levels exceeded the EU’s legal limit for a full year). London was recently put on a “Very High” air pollution alert for the first time.
