Going Green: London’s First 24-hour Ulez

Pollution is a huge problem in our capital city, with London experiencing a toxic air health crisis that is accounting for thousands of unnecessary deaths and extensive health problems every year.

It is really positive news then that the most stringent global emission standard was launched at the beginning of last month. Set to operate 24 hours a day, every day, this initiative will have a major impact on the courier network in Central London. Known as the ULEZ programme (Ultra-low Emission Zone), it has been strongly supported by the mayor, Sadiq Khan, who has indicated that it is a vital step towards bringing London’s air cleanliness back to legal levels.

The Impact on Smaller Fleet Owners and Drivers

Not all vehicles are compliant with the emissions policy, and if you are not sure about your vehicle, you can check on the ULEZ vehicle compliance checker. If your vehicle is older and does not meet the required level, you will be required to pay a £12.50 daily penalty in London’s designated congestion zone.

This is very tough those who own or work for smaller companies where the cost of upgrading older vehicles is too high. To help those who find themselves in this position, the GLA has introduced a van scrappage scheme. To gain access to the scrappage grant you need to be VAT registered.

The Positive Impact So Far

Despite this tricky transition time for those operating in the courier network, change is occurring slowly and the ULEZ has already produced a 55% increase in the number of compliant vehicles. All buses working in the ULEZ zone are now also compliant with the emissions standard and the concentration of NO2 measured at roadside monitoring sites within the ULEZ zone has been reduced by 20% already.

Since the T-charge was introduced in 2017as a pre-cursor to the ULEZ, many positives have been noted. These include:

• Fewer vehicles (a reduction of around 11,000) seen in Central London every day.
• A 38% increase in compliant vehicles in the zone, as well an increase in the proportion of compliant vehicles.
• London’s air is set to reach the legal limits in six years.

It is thanks to the proactive measures of the London Mayor that we have seen such a positive change in the state of the air in our capital. If you are part of the courier network you are already enjoying less congestion on the city’s roads and slowly improving air quality in your work environment.

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Norman Dulwich is a Correspondent for Courier Exchange, the world's largest neutral trading hub for same day jobs in the express freight exchange industry. Connecting logistics professionals across the UK and Europe through their online courier network. Numerous transport exchange businesses are networked together on their website, trading jobs and capacity through what is now the fastest growing Freight Exchange in the UK.