Key information
Request reference number: MGLA270223-1247
Date of response:
Summary of request
Your request
- Please advise by how much the extended ULEZ will reduce pollution and by how much the installation of pedestrian crossings at or near junctions and roundabouts, and extending pavements into the carriageway at bus stops have increased it by increasing congestion.
- Provide details of the additional pollution caused by the traffic calming measures you have introduced, including the higher level of particles resulting from the increased braking these have caused.
- Explain why, if you feel the higher polluting vehicles are a major cause of pollution, why are you not simply banning them from London? Surely this would have a greater effect, even if it would require a longer period before introduction.
- Are other factors in play or is the proposed charge a case of raising revenue rather than one of air quality?
Our response
Expected air quality impacts of the London-wide ULEZ
The expected air quality impacts of a London-wide ULEZ, including in individual boroughs,
were modelled and published as part of the consultation on the proposals. This modelling was produced by Imperial College London working with Transport for London (TfL).
The most relevant documents are the ‘London-wide ULEZ Integrated Impact Assessment (ULEZ Scheme IIA)’ and ‘Our proposals to help improve air quality tackle the climate emergency and reduce congestion by expanding the ULEZ London-wide and other measures’.
Other air quality monitoring
The site provides detailed hourly data for all monitoring sites, as well as yearly aggregated
statistics, which can be used for long-term trends.
The GLA regularly reports on air quality trends in London. This reporting uses data from the city’s air quality monitoring network to analyse the long-term trends in pollution
concentrations.
The most recent modelling is the London Atmospheric Emissions Inventory
(LAEI) 2019.
This is a public dataset and includes emissions estimates of key pollutants (NOx, PM10,
PM2.5 and CO2) by source type (for example, road transport, aviation, rail, construction, etc) for the base year 2019.
Modelled ground level concentrations of annual mean NO2, PM10 and PM2.5 in
µg/m3 (microgramme per cubic metre) at 20m grid resolution are also included.
Banning cars
The Mayor does not have any legal power to make traffic orders to ban (temporarily or
permanently) any vehicles over any area for the purposes of air quality as he is not a traffic
authority with powers to do so.
Whilst the Mayor does not have the power to ban vehicles, he does have the power to charge them for using roads depending on their emissions.
If you have any further questions relating to this matter, please contact us, quoting
reference MGLA270223-1247.