AUTONEWS

London declared war on the most polluting vehicles and today it reaps the rewards

London, the capital of the United Kingdom known for its smog, an atmosphere filled with smoke and pollution from vehicles equipped with combustion engines that harmed the health of passers-by and even their vision, declared war on the most polluting vehicles, banning them from traffic areas. low emissions. Ultra Low Emissions Zones (ULEZ) operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The London authorities not only implemented the ULEZ, they expanded them, a decision that was subject to great criticism, but which ended up receiving equally wide acceptance. And the evidence was confirmed by Transport for London (TfL), which demonstrated that older, more polluting cars have reduced their entry into London by around 45% since the expansion of the ULEZ, keeping the most polluting cars out of the city center .

According to TfL, there are only 93,000 more polluting vehicles entering London, far from the 170,000 that visited the capital before the increase in the area protected by the ULEZ. There are 77,000 fewer vehicles with above-average emissions, which the British consider an advantage compared to the recent past.

The 93,000 vehicles entering London have to pay a daily access fee of 12.50 pounds, approximately 14.4 euros. If the unit value seems “short”, the income for the London authorities is substantially more significant, around 27.2 million euros, a notable evolution compared to the previous (before the expansion) 2.8 million euros.

The removal of a considerable percentage of old and polluting vehicles from the (larger) city center, associated with the generous income due to daily payments for entering the metropolis with older cars, led the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, to say that he was “ pleased with the expansion of the ULEZ zones which, after just one month, are obviously working”.

The system implemented by London determines that less polluting cars and, above all, plug-in hybrid and 100% electric vehicles can enter the city freely, but that older and more polluting cars have to pay a fee to access areas city centers. Those responsible believe that this will limit the damage to the health of those who regularly live or travel in London, reducing suffering and, above all, the health bill, for those who suffer from respiratory and circulatory problems.

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