Driving in London can be a bit of a nightmare - and new pollution rules under the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) may have made it much more expensive.
Many will now have to check if their car is exempt from ULEZ.
The zone was introduced in April 2019 to help clean up the pollution in the centre of the city where pollutive traffic is a currently a big problem.
At the moment, the ULEZ only stretches around central London and includes sections of the City of London and City of Westminster, as well as parts of Islington, Southwark and Lambeth, but it's set to expand and move further outwards from 25 October.
Older vehicles are far less efficient than new models and so a £12.50 charge was brought in to deter certain vehicles from entering the zone.
The scheme operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week all year except Christmas Day.
Anyone needing to pay can do so via the TfL website, over the phone or on the TFL app.
There is also an auto-pay service, which requires vehicle registration.
Where is the ULEZ zone being expanded to?
Although it started off small, the ULEZ is being expanded much further out into Greater London.
The new zone will stretch to the areas between the north and south circular roads.
The charge will therefore now include driving in any of parts of the following boroughs:
- Tower Hamlets
- Newham
- Redbridge
- Greenwich
- Lewisham
- Southwark
- Wandsworth
- Lambeth
- Hounslow
- Ealing
- Barnet
- Camden
- Islington
- Hackney
- Haringey
- Waltham Forest
- Brent
- Hammersmith & Fulham
- Kensington & Chelsea
- City of London
- City of Westminster
The residents' discount scheme is also being scrapped, so those who live in the area and whose vehicle does not meet the required emissions standards will now have to pay the full £12.50.
Does my vehicle count?
For petrol cars, any registered with the DVLA after 2005 tend to meet the required standards, but this should be checked if you are unsure. Your petrol cars and vans should meet the 'Euro 4' standard, which produces 1g of carbon monoxide per kilometre.
Diesel cars and vans are both required to meet the Euro 6 standard, registered after 2015.
Electric cars are exempt.
Motorbikes must have a Euro 3 engine to avoid the charge.
Lorries, buses and coaches, as well as any other heavy vehicle, must meet Euro 6 standards
Retrofitting your vehicle to meet standards is allowed, but must be certified by the Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme (CVRAS).
Vehicles built before 1973 are exempt from charges.
You should check if your vehicle is suitable before driving in the ULEZ zone. Try TfL's online vehicle checker.
