London ULEZ zone expands to cover ENTIRE capital from next year, Sadiq Khan announces

25 November 2022, 10:00 | Updated: 25 November 2022, 10:16

The ULEZ is being expanded to cover the whole of London
The ULEZ is being expanded to cover the whole of London. Picture: Alamy

By Asher McShane

Sadiq Khan has announced a major expansion to London's ULEZ zone that will mean hundreds of thousands more motorists will have to pay a daily fee of £12.50 to use their cars.

From August 29 next year, the ULEZ zone will cover the whole of London.

London Mayor Mr Khan said extending the ultra-low emission zone to cover the whole of the city was "one of the toughest decisions I've taken".

This map shows the expanded Ulez zone from next August
This map shows the expanded Ulez zone from next August. Picture: TfL

The scheme, which operates at all times except Christmas Day, is currently limited to the area within the North and South Circular roads.

The Ulez currently covers everything within the north and south Circular roads
The Ulez currently covers everything within the north and south Circular roads. Picture: TfL

Transport for London (TfL) estimates that on an average day about 160,000 cars and 42,000 vans that use London's roads would be liable for the £12.50 Ulez fee.

The expansion will force tens of thousands of those drivers in more polluting vehicles to switch to vehicles that comply with the minimum emissions standards or to dump their cars altogether.

City Hall says the expansion will mean five million Londoners will breathe cleaner air.

Older, more polluting vehicles will cost £12.50 to drive anywhere in London from next August
Older, more polluting vehicles will cost £12.50 to drive anywhere in London from next August. Picture: Alamy

Whether or not a vehicle is liable for the charge depends on how much nitrogen dioxide it emits.

For diesel cars and vans to avoid the charge they must generally have been registered from 2016, while most petrol models registered from 2006 are exempt.

From next August the ULez will expand to cover the whole of London
From next August the ULez will expand to cover the whole of London. Picture: Alamy

Drivers can check the status of their vehicle by entering its registration number on TfL's website.

Mr Khan said air pollution is making Londoners "sick from cradle to the grave", with illnesses such as cancer, lung disease, dementia and asthma.

Drivers can check if their vehicle is Ulez compliant on TfL's website
Drivers can check if their vehicle is Ulez compliant on TfL's website. Picture: Alamy

He described the Ulez as "transformational" and claimed extending it will mean "five million more people will be able to breathe cleaner air and live healthier lives".

The mayor insisted that the rising cost of living was a "key consideration" in his decision on whether to implement the proposal, which was featured in a public consultation between May and July.

This led to him introducing measures such as a £110 million scrappage scheme to support Londoners on lower incomes, disabled people, small businesses and charities to scrap or retrofit their non-compliant vehicles.

There will also be a major expansion of bus services in outer London.

Mr Khan added: "Expanding the Ulez London-wide has not been an easy decision. The easy thing for me would have been to kick the can down the road.

"But in the end, public health comes before political expediency."

Billionaire businessman Michael Bloomberg, who is the UN Secretary-General's special envoy on climate ambition and solutions, claimed Mr Khan's leadership is "helping to clean London's air and set an example for cities around the world".

But RAC head of roads policy Nicholas Lyes said the announcement will be "a hammer-blow for desperate drivers and businesses already struggling with crippling fuel costs".

Michael Lloyd of the Federation of Small Businesses said a "heavy-handed" Ulez expansion will "leave many small firms in a precarious position".

He added that a recent survey of affected small businesses suggested 18% planned to shut down if the extension went ahead, and 25% intended to pass the extra cost on to customers.

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

Rescuers searching through rubble

Paramedics among the 16 killed by Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon

A man is seen with a huge zombie knife on a train towards Beckenham Junction on Wednesday afternoon

Lawless London: Manhunt continues for knifeman who stabbed train passenger - as two more injured in Tube station attack

Exclusive
The first gay couple to marry in the UK has expressed "outrage" at the Rwanda Bill

First gay couple to marry in UK ten years ago say government should do more to protect LGBTQ+ asylum seekers

Soldiers in giant fuel tank

US military drains giant wartime fuel tanks which had poisoned water supply

Paul O'Grady and his husband Andre Portasio

Paul O'Grady's husband opens up on TV star's final day and fight to save him as beloved dog nuzzled his neck

Sam Bankman-Fried

FTX founder Bankman-Fried facing decades in prison for crypto fraud

Exclusive
Brits travelling to the EU will need to have their fingerprints taken

'UK not ready and won't be' for new EU passport checks at borders, warns head of trade body

Aiden Minnis (left) and Ben Stimson (right) joined the Russian military

British traitor fighting for Russia in Ukraine says he is 'prepared to die' for Putin after family 'disowns him'

Austria Navalny

Portraits of Alexei Navalny unveiled next to Soviet soldier monument in Vienna

Hawaii Wildfire

Hawaii fire survivors moving into housing but 3,000 still in hotels

King Charles recorded the Easter message earlier this month.

King Charles stresses ‘importance of friendship in times of need’ in Easter message as royals face double cancer battle

Trump Investigations Eastman

Judge says former Trump lawyer should be debarred

A man is seen with a huge zombie knife on a train towards Beckenham Junction on Wednesday afternoon

Man fighting for life after being stabbed by attacker with zombie knife on train in front of horrified passengers

Rishi Sunak's inner circle has reportedly urged him to call a summer election.

Rishi Sunak urged to hold summer election as aides fear he 'cannot hold on until autumn' amid Tory rebel plot

George Gilbey's mum is 'devastated' following the death of her son.

Gogglebox star George Gilbey’s mum left ‘in bits’ after son’s sudden death aged 40

The cargo ship Dali stuck under part of the structure of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after the ship hit the bridge in Baltimore

Baltimore bridge collapse: Divers recover two bodies from water