A consultation has been launched on plans to expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) to cover almost the whole of the London from 29 August 2023. 

In an attempt to tackle the capital’s toxic air crisis, Transport for London (TfL) believe that expanding the ULEZ London-wide will have the biggest effect on emissions relative to the cost to Londoners as a whole, as well as helping to tackle the climate emergency and traffic congestion.

The current £12.50 daily charge level for cars, vans and motorbikes that do not meet the standards would be retained. This would be supported by a revision of the Mayor's Transport Strategy, which is also part of this consultation. The consultation will also ask Londoners to help shape the future of road user charging in the capital.  This could include scrapping existing charges, such as the Congestion Charge, and replacing them with a single road user charging scheme that uses more sophisticated technology to make it as simple and fair as possible for Londoners.

If a larger zone were introduced, it is estimated that the number of cars not meeting the tough ULEZ standards each day in outer London would fall from 160,000 to 46,000 and the number of vans from 42,000 to 26,000. The changes would also see a further 340,000 Londoners living in areas meeting these international health-based standards.  

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said: "The air Londoners breathe is so toxic it stunts children's lungs, exacerbates chronic illness and contributes to thousands of premature deaths each year. More than half of the 500,000 Londoners with asthma live in outer London and all areas of London still breach safe levels of pollution.

"We're keen to hear from all Londoners, so please share your views on my plans to build a better London for everyone - a safer, fairer, greener and more prosperous city for all Londoners."