The Mayor of London's proposal to extend the ULEZ is a clumsy policy that will fail to tackle pollution hotspots and will penalise drivers and businesses in non-polluting areas, a new GLA Conservatives report shows.
'A Breath of Fresh Air', by Gareth Bacon AM, calls on the Mayor to adopt an alternative approach aimed at tackling the worst-hit areas where pollution is actually affecting people's health. A similar targeted policy in Oxford Street saw emissions fall by a third in just 12 months and the original ULEZ, focusing on central London, is predicted to cut harmful emissions by 51 per cent.
The Mayor's proposed extension to the lesser-polluted areas within the North and South Circular would see pollution fall by just an additional 10 per cent. Despite the low impact, the report predicts the cost of the extension at £780million - £220 for every household in London.
Small businesses could be decimated by charges for driving inside the North and South Circular - which TfL figures predict could total £100million a year for drivers within the affected zones.
TfL analysis also shows large areas of the extended ULEZ zone are well within legal emission limits, yet drivers would face the same penalties as those in pollution hotspots.
