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FOI - ULEZ compliance criteria/Air pollution deaths [Feb 2023]

Key information

Request reference number: MGLA200223-0438

Date of response:

Summary of request

Our response

1. What criteria has been adopted by Transport for London (TfL) to indicate to a customer that their vehicle is ULEZ compliant?

This information is publicly available. As set out on the TfL website, to meet the ULEZ standards, a vehicle must meet the required Euro emission standard for the vehicle and emission type. 

The ULEZ standards are: 

  • Euro 3 for motorcycles, mopeds, motorised tricycles and quadricycles (L category)
  • Euro 4 (NOx) for petrol cars, vans, minibuses and other specialist vehicles
  • Euro 6 (NOx and PM) for diesel cars, vans and minibuses and other specialist vehicles

Drivers can check whether their vehicles meet the ULEZ standards using TfL’s free online vehicle checker.

2. It has been said 'The Mayor of London has pledged to expand the ULEZ to cover all of Greater London by 29 August 2023. He argues the expansion will result in cleaner air for 5m Londoners and save the lives of 4,000 people a year.'

Please supply the evidence TfL have that once the ULEZ is in place in the Greeter London Area 4,000 lives will be saved. Is the 4,000 lives saved by the end of the first year, third year or sixth year? If the 4,000 lives are saved over another period, please specify.

The figure of 4,000 premature deaths in London being attributable to air pollution was a 
finding from the London Health Burden of Current Air Pollution and Future Health Benefits of Mayoral Air Quality Policies review, which was commissioned by the GLA and produced by the Environmental Research Group at Imperial College London.

You may also be interested in the Air Quality Health Impact Assessment (AQHIA) which can be found in Appendix A of the IIA. 

3. Please supply the research that states that the most polluted place is on your car. 

There have been a number of scientific studies looking at air pollution exposure in vehicles, 
including exposure of people commuting by car and professional drivers. These studies have shown that people travelling in vehicles are among the highest exposed to pollution. 

The articles below represent a selection of these studies: 

If you have any further questions relating to this matter, please contact us, quoting 
reference MGLA200223-0438.

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