Greater efforts must be made by the capital’s Mayor to combat pollution from diesel vehicles, a report by the London Assembly said yesterday.

 

These include bringing forward the introduction of an Ultra Low Emission Zone from 2020 and increasing the area of London it serves. The Mayor has also been urged to show how the whole of London can achieve compliance with European air pollution limits by the end of the decade.

 

“The combustion of diesel is to blame for much of the problem of air pollution in London,” said London Assembly environment committee member Stephen Knight. “As petrol engines become cleaner with time it is becoming clear that diesel emissions are a large part of the problem.”

 

The report says that consideration should be given to increasing the charge for heavily polluting vehicles entering the Ultra Low Emission Zone to a more punitive level. It also says the zone should be extended beyond the boundary of the Congestion Charge area as soon as is practically possible.

 

Further recommendations include the Mayor actively promoting very low emission technologies for heavy vehicles such as plug in hybrid, electric and hydrogen fuel cells. Transport for London is urged not to drive its own non-Euro VI standard buses inside the Ultra Low Emission Zone and the Mayor is asked to set out how necessary infrastructure will be delivered to ensure a large fleet of zero emission taxis can operate across London from 2018.

 

A spokesman for the Mayor of London said: “The Mayor will continue to lobby the European Union to implement effective on road testing of diesel vehicle emissions and the Government to use fiscal incentives to encourage only the cleanest vehicles, such as providing funding to scrap the most polluting diesel vehicles.

 

“The Ultra Low Emission Zone, which will come into force from 2020, is the most ambitious and comprehensive measure of its kind in the world, and thousands of cleaner buses have been rolled out, age limits set on polluting taxis and Low Emission Zone standards tightened.”

 

(Photo: Alvey & Towers)