Hundreds of thousands of drivers face paying £12.50 fee as Clean Air Zone expands in months
Almost 700,000 car drivers in London will face a daily £12.50 Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) fee a day when the scheme expands, according to new analysis.
The RAC, which carried out the research, said the expansion of the zone from August 29 will have a “massive financial impact on motorists and businesses”.
It comes a day after Transport for London (TfL) claimed that nine out of 10 cars seen driving in outer London on an average day meet the ULEZ standards, so will not be liable for the charge.
It also said that many drivers are switching from older, more polluting vehicles ahead of the expansion.
The zone is currently limited to the area within London’s North and South Circular roads, but Mayor Sadiq Khan has decided to expand it to cover the whole of the capital, claiming this will boost air quality.
Most diesel cars registered before September 2015 and petrol cars registered prior to January 2006 are liable for the charge.
Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency figures obtained by the RAC show that 691,559 licensed cars in the whole of London fall into one of those categories.
This does not take into account other vehicles such as vans and lorries, or vehicles which enter London from neighbouring counties such as Essex, Hertfordshire, Surrey and Kent.
