FOI - ULEZ advertising campaign and operation [Feb 2022]

Your request

1. How many radio stations have played your ULEZ advertisement?
2. How many times has each radio station put out this message and will do so until 31 January 2021?
3. How many times will the advertisement be put out from 1 February 2021 until it is withdrawn?
4. How much does each broadcast cost?
5. How many different versions are aired?
6. What is the location of every camera being used in this scheme?
7. How many cameras are being used in this scheme?
8. What is the cost of each camera?
9. How many lichen studies have been commissioned?
10. What will be the cost of all the signs that will be required?
11. Have you surveyed all sites to ensure that locations will not become overburdened with signs and then become dangerous?
12. Please supply details of how you claim 80% of cars will comply with your emission standards?
13. Please supply, in printed form, copies of all of the scripts that are used?

Our response

The GLA does not hold all of the information that you have requested. This is because Transport for London (TfL) undertake the day to day operation of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), including procuring the advertising campaign.

Please see our answers to your questions in turn below. Where we have been unable to provide data you may wish to contact TfL for further details at [email protected]

Questions 1 to 5 

The GLA does not hold this information as the ULEZ marketing campaign was procured and managed by TfL. However, in December 2020 the GLA published a written answer to a Mayor’s question that set out TfL’s anticipated spending on the marketing campaign. 

During the period December 2020 to March 2021, TfL has spent £623,126.34 between December 2020 and February 2021, and is planning to spend a further £65,695.01 in March 2021 on an extensive multi-channel advertising campaign to prepare Londoners and drivers for the expansion of the central London ULEZ to the North and South Circular roads from 25 October 2021. This total is broken down by month in the table below:

In addition to paid media, advertising messages are running on posters across the public transport network and at key roadside locations within London. While TfL will not be paying to access this additional media, its value is £908,000. TfL is currently planning its 2021-22 budgets. This will include significant advertising on this campaign, supported by the use of owned assets, use of the TfL customer database and stakeholder engagement.

Questions 6 to 7 

The GLA has published answers to these questions in response to a question to the Mayor from the London Assembly.

The expansion of the ULEZ will build upon the success of the central London ULEZ to further improve air quality for millions more Londoners. ULEZ enforcement is designed to incentivise drivers to change their behaviour in order to meet the required emissions standards. The area covered by the existing ULEZ has around 650 cameras. Whilst the new zone will be 18 times the size, new technology means only around 750 additional cameras need to be installed. TfL began installing cameras in August 2020.

Cameras will be placed at every entry and exit point and at appropriate locations within the zone. TfL does not publish the locations of its cameras, as this would undermine their deterrent effect. Some of the cameras will be moveable and will be placed at different locations within the zone, ensuring effective operation of the scheme.

Question 8

The GLA has published answers to this questions in response to a question to the Mayor from the London Assembly.

The supply and installation costs for individual cameras vary because the complexity of the works to enable their installation depends on whether existing power supplies and street furniture can be used or whether new provision is required. The majority of camera supply and installation costs are in the range of £10,000 to £15,000 although occasionally where locations are constrained the individual site cost can be higher.

The information about individual camera costs is commercially sensitive and if released would inhibit TfL’s ability to achieve best value during future procurement exercises.

Question 9

The GLA has not commissioned any studies into air quality using lichen. While lichen studies can provide a long term indicator of air pollutant impacts the GLA supports sensor based monitoring, such as the Breathe London project.

Question 10

The GLA does not hold this information and for more detail you may wish to contact TfL. However, we have published responses to Mayor’s Questions on the total cost of ULEZ expansion.

The estimated cost to implement the expanded Ultra Low Emission Zone is between £120 million and £130 million. This cost includes improved access to public transport and staffing as well as the signs, cameras and back office systems needed to make the scheme operational.

Question 11

The GLA does not hold this information. TfL ensure that the relevant safety standards are followed for all on street works that they commission and you may wish to contact TfL for a more detailed answer.

Question 12

Prior to the launch of expansion, data captured from Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras used for other schemes such as the central London ULEZ, LEZ and congestion charge was combined with data sampled from the expanded network and used by TfL to estimate the compliance rate in the expanded zone.

Following the launch of the scheme TfL have been able to directly measure the compliance rate. Data for the first month, showing that the compliance rate stood at around 92 per cent, has been published by the GLA.

Question 13

The GLA does not hold this information and you may wish to contact TfL.

If you have any further questions relating to this matter, please contact us, quoting reference MGLA270122-2538.