The Mayor of London has announced his intention to create the world's first Ultra Low Emission Zone in central London, in a move that he believes will deliver dramatic benefits in air quality and provide a major spur for the further development and mass take-up of zero and low emission vehicles. He has asked Transport for London to prepare plans to look at introducing a scheme that would aim to ensure all vehicles driving in the centre of the capital during working hours would be zero or low emission, and the feasibility of introducing such a scheme from 2020.


In a speech at City Hall the Mayor also announced that his team will deliver double the benefits forecast to be achieved through phase five of the Low Emission Zone, but in a way that will save around £350m of costs for businesses using vehicles that would have been affected by phase five. Plus he confirmed that a further £20m will be spent on a scheme that helps London’s boroughs to tackle local air quality hotspots.

Mr Boris Johnson, said: 'Creating the world's first big city ultra low emission zone has the potential to be a game changing moment in the quality of life of our great capital. 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."

(CD/GK)