Ultra Low Emissions Zone Controversy Heats Up in UK Ahead of Fee's Expansion in London

London's Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) is set to expand as of August 29, heating up the controversy around the decision which critics slam as fraught with financial burdens on people amid a cost-of-living crisis. The zone will almost double in size to include all of Greater London’s 32 boroughs. The vast area the scheme managed by Transport for London (TfL) will encompass inside the M25 has millions of people living in it.

Ever since the Ulez policy was originally drawn up under then-mayor, Boris Johnson, and introduced in 2019 to tackle toxic air in the UK capital's central congestion zone, its proponents have vouched that there would be cleaner air throughout London as a result. However, critics have been up in arms denouncing its toll on residents and businesses.

As a rule, the Ulez charge applies to petrol cars sold prior to 2005, and failing to meet Euro 4 emission standards, along with diesels built prior to 2015 and, accordingly, not meeting Euro 6 regulations. Ahead of the Ulez expansion, those working on the policy with the Greater London Authority have insisted that "nine in 10 cars and eight in 10 vans" already meet the Ulez standards.

In an unpleasant twist, drivers already faced with the Ulez charge have recently fallen victim to unofficial copycat websites, according to UK reports. As a result, targeted people were stung with extra charges above the £12.50 daily fee even before the expansion went into effect next Tuesday. Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, confirmed that Transport for London (TfL) was not associated with any third-party websites accepting payments.

Incidentally, more than £400m ($431m) has been generated in England in fees and penalties from vehicle emission schemes since March 2021, revealed research obtained by carmaker Peugeot through a Freedom of information (FoI) request. A vast majority was made when the Ulez zone began to cover area inside the North and South Circular roads in London.

Regarding the studies into the effects of such a zone, the results have been somewhat of mixed bag. Ulez slashed NO2 levels close to the roadside by an estimated 46 percent in central London and by 21 percent in inner London by October 2022, claimed a City Hall report reviewed by Imperial College London. However, at a further distance from roadsides the effect is believed to be much smaller. Another study, in 2021, found that when Ulez covered only central London, the NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) levels were reduced by under 3 percent, as averaged across the UK capital. The same research said that PM2.5 (fine particulate matter) changes were insignificant.

Expansion of Ulez would bring down emissions of nitrogen oxides from transport by 6.9 percent in outer London, with the levels of fine particulate matter affected to a much lesser degree, fresh modelling commissioned by Transport for London suggested. Overall, a reduction of NO2 levels in outer London is projected by an average of no more than 1.5 percent. Accordingly, despite Ulez, air quality would still fall short of WHO standards.

Opponents of the expansion of London's Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) to all of the capital - a coalition of London councils - challenged the policy in court, decrying the damage it would inflict. However, in July 2023, the UK High Court ruled against the challenge. Councillors called on London's Mayor Sadiq Khan to rethink the move as declining living standards.

The combination of soaring inflation and increased costs of essential goods and services has placed a significant financial burden on households. Fallout from introduced sanctions against Russia last year has also taken its severe toll, particularly impacting energy prices.

Councillor Baroness O'Neill of Bexley OBE, Leader of the London Borough of Bexley voiced disappointment with the legal outcome, decrying the impact on locals.

Incidentally, Sadiq Khan, a member of the UK Labour Party, was forced to defend his decision to expand the tax on polluting vehicles as Sir Keir Starmer slammed him for a disappointing by-election result in Uxbridge and South Ruislip earlier in the year. Steve Tuckwell, who had been campaigning against Ulez, managed to hold the outer London constituency. According to Starmer, Ulez was "the reason we didn't win there."