Drivers on London’s ULEZ roads will need to own a vehicle that passes either Euro 6 diesel standards or Euro 4 petrol standards. If a car doesn’t meet these eco-friendly regulations, drivers will be taxed a £12.50 daily fee for entering a ULEZ.  

So far, the expansion has generated £93.6 million of additional revenue through the taxation of non-compliant vehicles. 

An RAC analysis of Transport for London (TfL) figures shows that between November 2021 and June 2022, around 1.9 million journeys were made into the ULEZ every month by vehicles that didn’t fit the correct emissions standards. This resulted in £112.5m worth of revenue from drivers required to pay.

Nicholas Lyes, Head of RAC’s roads policy commented: “The expansion of the Ultra-Low Emission Zone in 2021 meant a far larger geographical area was covered by the mayor’s strict vehicle emissions standards. 

“For many, this meant a very stark choice: either replacing their vehicle with a compliant model or paying the £12.50 daily charges Failing to pay the charge wasn’t an option either as it would result in a hefty penalty charge notice.

“The expansion of the ULEZ has resulted in a much-increased revenue stream for Transport for London, notwithstanding the costs associated with introducing the larger ULEZ. Londoners living outside the current ULEZ will now worry about the prospect of further expansion, mooted to be at the end of August 2023.

Mr Lyes added: “We would encourage the mayor to take a pragmatic approach and redouble his efforts to support lower-income families and businesses with non-compliant vehicles with a targeted scrappage scheme ahead of any expansion plans.”

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