The English capital could still be emptied of its cars.
London announced this Friday to extend from next summer to the entire British capital its road tax for the most polluting vehicles and at the same time intends to encourage the use of electric cars.
Restricted to central London when it was introduced in 2019, the ULEZ zone (ultra low emission zone) had already been considerably enlarged in 2021. The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan announced on Friday that it would extend it from August 29, 2023 to all of Greater London, where nine million people live.
In the midst of a cost of living crisis, introducing a new tax was "one of the hardest decisions I've had to make", he commented, but air pollution is making Londoners sick " from the cradle to the grave”.
“In the end, public health matters more than political expediency,” the Labor mayor added.
“Five million more people will be able to breathe cleaner air.
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In parallel, Sadiq Khan announced Thursday his intention to keep London at the forefront of the "revolution" of electric cars by adding 100 ultra-fast charging points across the city.
They can fully recharge a battery in 20-30 minutes.
Development of electricity and public transport
According to the municipality, the capital has more than 11,000 charging points, or one for every four electric vehicles registered in London.
The city also plans to create 4,500 jobs related to the development of electricity.
Electric cars are not affected by the extension of the ULEZ zone.
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This extension is “good news for the health of all Londoners.
Air pollution affects children even before they are born and causes them health problems throughout their lives”, reacted on Twitter the association “Mums for Lungs” (“Moms for the lungs”).
Billionaire Michael Bloomberg, former mayor of New York and UN special envoy for the climate, said on Twitter that London's decision was "an example for cities around the world".
The company TfL, which manages several transport services in London, conducted a consultation with more than 57,000 people, including 12,000 people campaigning for or against the extension of the ULEZ zone.
1,000 hospitalizations per year due to air pollution
59% of those questioned were opposed to its extension, and even 70% of those living in the areas of Greater London affected by the project.
“Sadiq Khan has broken his promise to listen to Londoners,” the group of Conservative elected officials reacted to London's local assembly on Twitter.
"He must go back on the extension (of the zone) ULEZ".
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This announcement will be "a hammer blow to desperate drivers and companies who are already facing a crushing increase in fuel prices", also protested the association of road users RAC.
Currently, drivers of petrol cars generally manufactured before 2006 (Euro 4 standard) and diesel vehicles generally manufactured before 2015 (Euro 6 standard) must pay 12.50 pounds (14.80 euros) per day to enter the ULEZ zone .
For trucks and coaches, you have to pay 100 pounds (116 euros) per day.
Taxis are exempt.
In addition to this tax, a “congestion charge”, an urban toll of 15 pounds per day, applies in the ultra-center to all vehicles, in order to reduce traffic.
According to a 2019 report, air pollution caused 1,000 hospitalizations a year in London between 2014 and 2016.
