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Low-emission zone in London
Page 14
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• by Guy Sheppard The UK's first low emission zone (LEZ) for vehicles could be introduced in London within three years, according to a report published next month.
Alongside buses and taxis, trucks are likely to be the main target for action because of the disproportionate amount of air pollution they cause compared with cars, says the Association of London Government (ALG).
An earlier study for Westminster City Council concluded that the most effective approach would be a Londonwide LEZ. This would restrict access to trucks and buses over 3.5 tonnes, as well as taxis; access would only be permitted if they met Euro-3 emissions criteria.
The new report, which has taken nearly 18 months to complete, will be considered by the Mayor of London, the government and the ALG before any of its recom mendations are implemented.
Shirley Rodrigues, transport and environment policy chief for the ALG, says existing measures are insufficient to meet government air quality targets in the capital. "A low emission zone looks like the best way of dealing with this."
She adds that the most extreme option would be to introduce congestion chargetype cameras to identify vehicles entering the zone. Boundaries could extend as far as the M25.
"There is a balancing act between the costs of doing it, the environmental costs and the air quality benefits."
She adds that the report is due by the middle of May but implementation is unlikely before 2005 because of the preparatory work and public consultation that would be necessary.
Sue Moody, London and South-East regionai director of
the Freight Transport Association, says any LEZ will need a long lead-in time to take into account the vehicle buying patterns of smaller hauliers. "If your fleet is all over the country, you can swap your vehicles around. You can't look at introducing a LEZ in two years' time: it just won't work."