ULEZ: One third of London motorists back Sadiq Khan’s clean-air scheme, according to survey

Just one third of London’s drivers are in favour of Ultra-Low Emission Zones (ULEZ), a survey suggests, despite only 15% claiming the schemes do not work.

Compiled by DriveElectric, the research, based on a survey of 2,001 motorists across the UK, found 31% of the capital’s drivers back the clean-air intiatives. The data comes ahead of the planned expansion of the city’s zone to cover all of greater London on August 29.

Of the London-based respondents, 31% said they are in favour of ULEZ schemes, while 38% back them only in areas reporting bad pollution. A recent City Hall analysis showed every London borough is exceeding the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines for nitrogen oxide (NO2).

Unsurprisingly, there was little enthusiasm to pay any associated charges, with just 8% saying they don’t mind doing so. A quarter, 25%, said they do not want to pay the fee at all, which in London is priced at £12.50 a day for most non-compliant vehicles.

Just two of the 15 cities included in DriveElectric’s research, Birmingham and Bristol, reported a higher percentage of motorists backing ULEZ schemes than London, while Edinburgh also recorded 31% of respondents in-favour.

The data was released as the mayor and Transport for London (TfL) await a court date this summer after a judicial review, launched by four Conservative London boroughs plus Surrey County Council, was granted permission to proceed to trial on two of its five grounds.

The planned expansion has come under fire from groups, including charities and businesses, concerned about the potential financial impact on those travelling in the zone.

Clean-air campaigners have been among those voicing support for Sadiq Khan and the ULEZ, with one telling LondonWorld how her son’s asthma pushed her to act over the capital’s dirty air.

A spokesperson for the mayor said the decision to extend the ULEZ was necessary due to the impacts of London’s toxic air, which they said causes “around 4,000” premature deaths each year.

“We know the ULEZ works as it’s already allowed more than four million people to breathe cleaner air in inner London and harmful NO2 concentrations have been cut by nearly half in central London”, they added.

“The ULEZ is a very targeted scheme. Nine out of ten cars seen driving in outer London are already ULEZ compliant and will not have to pay the charge.

“For drivers of the most polluting vehicles, the mayor is delivering the biggest scrappage scheme yet - £110m - to help the Londoners who need it most, including charities, low income and disabled Londoners, micro-businesses and sole traders.”

The spokesperson said DriveElectric’s data only covered motorists. They pointed instead to a 2022 YouGov poll commissioned by City Hall, which found 51% of Londoners believed the ULEZ expansion should be implemented, compared to 27% against.

Earlier this year, RAC published research stating it expects almost 700,000 cars in London to be liable to pay the £12.50 daily charge.

Nicholas Lyes, head of roads policy at RAC, said: “The sheer number of vehicles that don’t meet ULEZ emissions standards in greater London suggests there will be a massive financial impact on motorists and businesses through having to fork out £12.50 every day they drive in the zone.”