Series of videos and a complete fact-file explaining what ULEZ is and the impact of it on Londoners
London Mayor Sadiq Khan, has expanded the ULEZ – Ultra Low Emission Zone – to cover the whole of Greater London right up to the M25 in some places, from 29th August 2023 (See first pinned video below), making London the largest low emission zone in the world.
Previous London Mayor Boris Johnson, announced the first ULEZ zone in 2015, saying it would come into operation in September 2020. Sadiq Khan, who succeeded him as Mayor, introduced the scheme ahead of schedule in April 2019.
If you drive a non-ULEZ compliant car in London, you have to pay a £12.50 daily charge. It was expanded to cover Inner London up to the North and South Circular roads from 25 October 2021.
Expanding it to cover the whole of Outer London – that’s 32 Boroughs – now includes the entire Capital’s 600 Square Miles. The previous ULEZ zone covered 236 Square Miles and included 3.8m people – and was already the largest zone of its kind in Europe. The extension now includes another five million people.
Which Cars are Liable?
A ULEZ compliant petrol car has to be of at least Euro 4 Emissions standards. The Emissions standards are based on NOx (Nitrogen Oxides) emissions. This is usually all models from 2005, and some from as far back as the late 1990s.
For a diesel car to be ULEZ compliant, it must be of at least Euro 6 emissions standards based on both NOx and Particulate Emissions and will usually encompass models from around mid-2015 onwards.
If your car doesn’t come up as compliant on the TFL (Transport for London) checker (link below), but you think it might comply, check with the manufacture. If you can get a CoC (Certificate of Compliance) – sometimes a paid service – that proves it is, then you can apply to re-registered the car with TFL and ULEZ-compliant.
Motorbikes need to be Euro 3 or later, usually from the middle of 2007 onwards. With older bikes you can also get CoC documentation and there are test centres that could also certify your bike as compliant. Find out more at this link.
Classic cars only older than 40 years (on a rolling scale, so presently 1983 and older) are exempt from ULEZ charges if registered as ‘Historic’.
The ULEZ expansion this year will hit hardest on those already suffering from the cost-of-living crisis and will serve to banish modern classics (like my 1989 BMW 325i E30) from the city’s streets.
Plus, the Mayor has no mandate for it as 60% of Greater Londoners were against it in a public consultation, rising to 80% of business owners that responded and 79% of workers in outer London (the area affected by the expansion), although there are accusations of vote manipulation and exclusions.
The main argument against the expansion is that Transport for London’s (TFL) own commissioned report, independently compiled by Jacobs, states that there are minimal to no actual benefits to the quality of air in the expanded area, and in some parts of London it would have a negative socio-economic impact (see second pinned video below).
FACTFILE:
Emissions & Health
The introduction of ULEZ in Central London, reduced harmful nitrogen dioxide by 46%. The 2021 expansion to Inner London (up to the North and South Circulars) resulted in 21% lower levels of NO2. Whilst this is great news, what it also makes clear is the law of diminishing returns applies.
The London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, constantly repeats claims that there are 4000 deaths being caused by air pollution.
In fact, there was 1 death registered in London in the period 2001 to 2021 which had exposure to air pollution recorded on the death certificate. This death was attributed to environmental air pollution; however, in a response to a FOI (Freedom of Information) inquiry, the government confirmed that ‘we are unable to determine whether this involved car emissions.’
As for the ‘4000’ number, it’s simply an extrapolated calculation, based on an estimated additional 5-6 months of life from breathing cleaner air and multiplying by the annual increase in London’s population over a year – and that too based on air pollution levels BEFORE the current Ultra Low Emission Zones as the following confirms.
‘Using the exploratory new combined method gives an estimate for the 2019 mortality burden in London of 2019 levels of air pollution (represented by anthropogenic PM2.5 and NO2) to be equivalent to 3,600 to 4,100 attributable deaths (or 61,800 to 70,200 life year lost) at typical ages.’ This is again from a response to an FOI.
The other claim that the Mayor consistently makes is that air pollution is causing stunted lungs in children.
This is based on a study, again from 2019 (four years ago) published in the Lancet Public Health. It found the capacity of children’s lungs was reduced by about 5% when NO2 pollution was above legal levels. Lung capacity peaks at age 18, then declines.
‘If your lungs are already smaller than they should be as you enter adulthood, then as they decline with age, you’ll be at higher risk of lung disease and an early death.’ The researchers said doctors should consider advising parents of children with lung problems to avoid living in high-pollution areas if possible, or to limit their exposure.
So, what are the legal levels?
Firstly, it’s important to note that Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) is a collective term for Nitrogen Monoxide (NO) and Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2). Nitrogen Oxide is not considered to be hazardous to health at typical ambient conditions. However, Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) at high concentrations causes inflammation of the airways, can cause respiratory problems and asthma attacks. Prolonged exposure to high levels of NO2 can cause irreversible damages to the respiratory system.
The Air Quality Standards Regulations 2010 require that the annual mean concentration of NO2 must not exceed 40µg/m3 and that there should be no more than 18 exceedances of the hourly mean limit value (concentrations above 200µg/m3) in a single year.
We have been repeatedly told by proponents of the ULEZ extension that the air quality in London is at illegally high levels. However below is the data from London’s official air quality monitoring stations which you can access online: https://www.iqair.com/gb/uk/england/london .
This covers a two-day period and the highest recorded level is 22.5µg/m3 – about half the lower limit.
What about Particulate Emissions? These are measured at PM2.5 and PM10. The PM2.5 are particularly dangerous as they are said to be capable of entering human lungs and the bloodstream.
Road traffic is normally blamed for this. However, while ULEZ focuses on engine-based emissions, government data shows that 52% of all road transport small particle pollution came from tyre and brake wear in 2021, plus a further 24% from abrasion of roads and their paint markings. Just 15% of the emissions came from car exhausts and 10% from van exhausts.
This actually corroborates the findings of my own two-part video series in which I took an Elitech Temtop portable Air Quality test meter, to various locations inside the current ULEZ and the proposed extension. I detected very little emission from vehicle exhausts – in steep contrast to the near dangerous levels of particulate emissions that I found to be prevalent in the London Underground system.
The legal limit for PM2.5 is 25µg/m3. Again, taking a screen grab of the data from the London Air Quality meters shows that over two days it reached 8 at highest.
To be fair I personally recorded higher levels on my test device on occasion, but usually no higher than the safety threshold of 12µg/m3. Yet it read over 100µg/m3 (firmly in the red) on the London Underground.
The independent Jacobs Report (referred to above and commissioned by TFL itself) said ‘Proposed Scheme is modelled to result in a minor reduction (-1.3%) in the average exposure of the population of Greater London to NO2 and negligible reductions (-0.1%) in average exposure to PM2.5’.
So, the improvement will be almost undetectable. How does that resolve against the expenditure of expanding ULEZ?
The financials
The ULEZ expansion is costing about £200m to implement in terms of infrastructure (cameras, signage, enforcement and advertising etc), plus there is a scrappage scheme with a budget of £110m.
I must make the point here that personally I am firmly against scrappage schemes as wasteful and destructive to the environment.
The scrappage scheme essentially provides up to £2000 for replacement cars and up to £9500 in some cases for vans (there’s also provisions for charities and for those buying electric vehicles).
The scheme is accessible to Londoners receiving certain benefits and families getting child benefit. Plus, businesses with less than 50 employees, charities and care-workers.
Over the last few weeks, the Mayor has extended eligibility, but the overall total budget remains the same at £110m. It’s also important to note that the scheme is not available to those living just outside London in the Home Counties who are highly likely to be impacted by the expanded ULEZ.
The current ULEZ made £225m in 2022, with a third of that money coming from fines, rather than the £12.50 daily charge. The fines are £180 reduced to £90 if paid within two weeks.
With the expanded zone likely to create confusion over its boundaries, expect many drivers to be caught out. It’s unsurprising that TFL has estimated that it will earn around £300m from the expansion in the first year, although that is expected to decline to virtually negligible by 2027 as motorists either learn to avoid the zone, or upgrade to newer ULEZ-compliant cars.
Separately it’s widely believed that the Mayor plans to introduce pay-per-mile road charging to replace ULEZ around that time. The fact that the ULEZ expansion is intended for revenue generation, rather than tackling air quality, becomes obvious as the Mayor recently admitted they have no ‘Plan B’ to replace the revenue should the expansion not go ahead. And why does he need the money? Because TFL has a budget gap of an astonishing £1.5bn-2bn a year.
Meanwhile some experts have estimated that the annual loss to the economy from the imposition of the ULEZ expansion will be £500m a year. This is what businesses in London are expected to lose.
Who’s affected
Again, that explains why the consultation for the expansion saw 69% of households oppose the expansion in Outer London, but as much as 80% of business owners that responded and 79% of workers, again in outer London.
It’s worth remembering that the consultation itself was controversial in terms of alleged manipulation of responses, responses that were dismissed, and canvassing of targeted demographics to evoke the desired result. Yet, despite all this, there were demonstrably nearly 70% opposed to the expansion.
It’s understandable when you realise that more people in outer London rely on car transport – 69% of households versus 42% in inner London. And many of these tend to be poorer communities and thereby unable to obtain more expensive ULEZ compliant cars, yet desperately needing their vehicles for commuting, business, work and social engagement.
TFL claims that only 1 in 10 cars in Outer London are non-ULEZ compliant, something like a total of around 200,000. This was based on monitoring by a selection of ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) cameras on unspecified main arteries in London, so hardly representative.
Meanwhile as a result of an FOI, the RAC revealed data from DVLA indicated that as many as 700,000 cars in Greater London were actually non-ULEZ, and that rose to 850,000 when all vehicles were included (not just cars).
According to similar research by the Lib Dems, 1.6 million (out of 5.8 million) cars in the 10 counties around London are not ULEZ compliant (and are not eligible to the scrappage scheme) yet many commuters use those cars to come to work in London (such as NHS staff, Police and Emergency Services employees, care workers and even TFL employees as well around 10,000 workers at Heathrow Airport).
Inevitably this will force people to seek alternative transport or upgrade their cars despite great financial hardship during a cost-of-living crisis. Data has shown the previous expansion led to a 60% reduction in non-compliant vehicles within the zone, taking the equivalent of 74,000 vehicles off the roads per day. It reduced overall traffic within the area by almost 5% – approximately 50,000 cars.
The problem is that in Outer London there is far less provision and connectivity of public transport services, far fewer, if any, London Underground stations in some areas, and sparse bus services.
Use this TFL ULEZ checker https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/check-your-vehicle/
PINNED POST
London Mayor Sadiq Khan, is going ahead with plans to expand the ULEZ – Ultra Low Emission Zone – to cover the whole of Greater London right up to the M25. This is terrible news. It will hit hardest on those already suffering from the cost of living crisis and will banish classic cars from the city’s streets. Here’s why it’s wrong!
PINNED POST
ULEZ Expansion – which will cost London 100s of millions in infrastructure and scrappage schemes, will have a virtually negligible impact benefitting the climate or London’s toxic pollution, according to Transport of London’s own commissioned report.
PINNED POST
It’s Khan or Your Car – You Choose, You Decide!
Interview with anti-ULEZ activist Kingsley Hamilton. This was from yesterday’s Last Anti-ULEZ Expansion Protest (27th April 2024), ahead of the Mayoral Elections happening this Thursday (2nd May 2024).
My full coverage from today’s Last Anti-ULEZ Expansion Protest (27th April 2024), ahead of the Mayoral Elections happening this Thursday (2nd May 2024). In this video we have Key Discussions and talk to representatives of the Conservative and Reform parties. This is a long video, so I’ve broken it down into chapters, listing the interviews and segments in the description, so you can go directly to what you want to watch. It’s an important video and you need to watch this before deciding on who to vote for this week.
In the countdown to D-Day, the Mayoral Election on 2 May 2024, it’s time for a major ULEZ Update covering the Green Insurer’s survey on what people think of schemes like ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone in London) and CAZ (Clean Air Zone in Birmingham), plus the sudden infestations of Bat Boxes on ULEZ Camera poles thwarting maintenance staff from restoring vision to cameras that may not longer be functioning properly (courtesy Batman!) and I provide updates on all the events planned between now and the election.
Let’s get into the heart of London’s transport debate with “Superloop vs. Electric Car: Epic London Challenge | Full Route Comparison!” Launched in July 2023, the Superloop bus service was introduced by Transport for London and the London Mayor to enhance connectivity in outer London against the backdrop of the ULEZ expansion potentially forcing people out of their older cars and onto public transport.
Six months on from the expansion of ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone) to cover the whole of London, in August 2023 and the London Mayor still hasn’t released impact data to prove that it’s improved the air quality in the expanded zones. And it won’t be released until after the elections in May 2024. However, I shot two videos last year, taking an ELITECH Temptop air quality meter around London, covering firstly the previous ULEZ zone in part 1 and the proposed area of expansion in Part 2. This means I can directly compare my findings today, six months on from the expansion to the data I had before, to see if there has been any improvement in air quality. This is what I do in this video. And the results may surprise you – they certainly astonished me! Test recorded Tuesday 5 March 2024
It’s been confirmed! What we always knew and said about the controversial ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone) expansion adverts in London – they lied!
Check out my latest ULEZ update which reveals that 60% are still awaiting for their scrappage scheme application approvals, leaving businesses and charities footing daily ULEZ charges. Meanwhile, Ukraine to get scrapped cars and more Londoners than ever are unhappy about ULEZ Expansion.
Coverage of the first anniversary Anti-ULEZ Expansion protest held yesterday (27 January 2024) in Trafalgar Square, featuring important interviews, discussion on what to do in the forthcoming Mayoral Elections and also a chat with Automotive YouTuber Adam C
Join us as we dive into the latest updates on London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in this eye-opening video. Discover the pivotal decisions facing Mayor Sadiq Khan, the fiery legal challenges from European lorry drivers, and the controversial proposal to send polluting vehicles to the war zones of Ukraine. We explore the complexities of balancing environmental policies with humanitarian needs and what this means for motorists and the future of transportation. Don’t miss the in-depth analysis, real-life stories, and our discussion on where the line should be drawn between eco-initiatives and aiding in crisis. Your thoughts are invaluable – join the conversation in the comments below! Plus why it is crucial to ensure we vote in a new Mayor this May.
Join us for the Anti-ULEZ Expansion Christmas Party that took place on Saturday night, 16th December 2023, in Mitcham. The event featured special appearances and shoutouts to some of the standout figures in the protests and campaigns from the past year. I also had the privilege to make an exclusive announcement about my upcoming book, two days before the official reveal on my channels. We stand firm on the importance of peaceful legal protesting and political campaigning, which are cornerstones of democratic rights. As always, BrownCarGuy does not condone or support any illegal activities.
A packed update on ULEZ filled with revelations, controversies, and a hint at something special brewing behind the scenes. In this video, we delve into: “Project Detroit”: The prototype for a distance-based journey estimation. Is pay-per-mile in London’s future? | Misleading Advertising: A leaked report suggests possible misleading claims by TfL about ULEZ benefits. | £5M in the First Week: Exploring the financial implications of ULEZ expansion. | Bill to Overturn ULEZ Expansion: A new political move that might change the game. | ULEZ Camera Explosion: A concerning incident that raises serious questions. We’re also hinting at a secret project we’re working on, related to ULEZ. Although I can’t reveal much now, it’s something you’ll definitely find intriguing, so stay tuned!
I was invited to the ULEZ Summit at Orpington Conservative Club, where I was also involved in one of the panels, and took the opportunity to get first-hand reports on some recent incidents involving the mobile ULEZ camera vans. It makes for shocking listening.
Here’s a chat with Noel Willcox, a business owner who successfully challenged TFL (Transport for London) over fines received for entering the Low Emission Zone (LEZ). Noel argued that the signage was unclear and consequently illegal, and the court agreed. Now, he’s taking it a step further with potentially far-reaching consequences for the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) expansion. Noel has set up a GoFundMe page to raise funds for his legal challenge. Click here to support him https://gofund.me/0a930152
ULEZ Camera Incidents hit Record in September. There have been nearly 1,000 Ulez camera-related crimes across London over the past seven months, according to the Police. Last month in October, 192 cases of cameras being stolen or damaged were recorded. However, the month of September saw the highest number of incidents, with 285 being recorded. Of the total figure since 1 April, 220 were reports of cameras being stolen while 767 were of them being damaged. The Police insist it “continues to treat criminal activity in relation to Ulez seriously”. There have been five arrests and two charges in relation to the vandalism of Ulez cameras.
In this eye-opening video, we delve into the staggering £52 million that the ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone) expansion has made from London drivers since its implementation on 29th August. With data analyzed by the BBC and estimates by the Conservative party, we reveal the breakdown of daily charges, fines, and the questionable numbers surrounding vehicle compliance claimed by City Hall. Have Londoners switched cars, stopped driving, or are they dodging the charges? And most importantly, what impact has the ULEZ expansion really had on London’s air quality?
Are the anti-ULEZ protests fizzling out? Have we still got gas in the tank? ULEZ has happened. Is all lost? Has this demotivated resistance? Do we need to think beyond ULEZ and look at the wider, global war on cars and motorists? Just how far will the anti-car lobby go? And what can we do to defend our right to own a car, our right to freedom of movement, to the freedom to choose how we get around?
Brown Car Guy 
funny sad interesting , like one big battle on who can be the most insufferable mayor, councillor, MP, police as,well, Sure hope he does not win the next Mayor, be a fix if he does, Great content as always
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