On August 29, 2023, the expansion of London’s Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) is set to take effect. This significant development will have a direct impact on residents and commuters in certain areas of the city.
As the clock strikes 12:01am, vehicles that do not comply with ULEZ standards will face a daily charge of £12.50 when traveling through specific boroughs.
However, this expansion has not been without controversy, as a majority of Londoners expressed their opposition to the plan in 2022.
The Expanding ULEZ Boundaries
Despite public concerns, the ULEZ boundaries are expanding to encompass new areas, reaching as far as Zone 6. This expansion will affect neighborhoods such as Putney, Finchley, Dulwich, and Chiswick.
The question on many residents’ minds is whether their own neighborhoods will fall within the grasp of the expanded ULEZ.
Understanding ULEZ
The Ultra Low Emission Zone, commonly referred to as ULEZ, was established by Transport for London with its implementation date set for August 29.
ULEZ areas in London are designed to impose an additional fee on motorists operating vehicles with high pollution levels. These zones operate 24/7, every day of the year except for Christmas, making them a substantial initiative in reducing air pollution.
ULEZ is similar in concept to the congestion charge zone but covers a much larger area.
If your vehicle meets the ULEZ standards, you can travel within these boundaries without incurring any additional charges, except when parking.
ULEZ Standards
To determine if your vehicle meets the ULEZ standards, it’s crucial to understand the criteria. As of now, the standards are as follows:
– Euro 3 for motorcycles, mopeds, motorized tricycles, and quadricycles.
– Euro 4 (NOx) for petrol cars, vans, minibuses, and other specialized vehicles.
– Euro 6 (NOx and PM) for diesel cars, vans, minibuses, and other specialized vehicles.
Fortunately, a majority of diesel vehicles and petrol vehicles under 6 and 16 years old, respectively, already meet these emissions standards. Additionally, minibuses, coaches (with a Gross Vehicle Weight over 5 tonnes), lorries, vans, and specialist heavy vehicles (with a Gross Vehicle Weight over 3.5 tonnes) are exempt from the £12.50 ULEZ charge.
Checking Your Vehicle’s Compliance
To ensure your vehicle meets the ULEZ standards, you can easily check by entering your number plate on the Transport for London website.
Affected Postcodes
To provide clarity on which areas are included in the ULEZ expansion, here is a breakdown of postcodes by region:
West Central Postcodes: WC1A WC1B WC1E WC1H WC1N WC1R WC1V WC1X – Bloomsbury, Gray’s Inn
WC2A WC2B WC2E WC2H WC2N WC2R – Covent Garden, Holborn, Strand
East Central Postcodes: EC1A EC1M EC1N EC1P EC1R EC1V EC1Y – Barbican, Clerkenwell, Finsbury
EC2A EC2M EC2N EC2P EC2R EC2V EC2Y – Moorgate, Liverpool Street
EC3A EC3M EC3N EC3P EC3R EC3V – Aldgate, Monument, Tower Hill
EC4A EC4M EC4N EC4P EC4R EC4V EC4Y – Fleet Street, St Paul’s
East London Postcodes: E1 – Mile End, Stepney and Whitechapel
E2 – Bethnal Green and Shoreditch
E3 – Bow and Bromley-by-Bow
E4 – Chingford and Highams Park
E5 – Clapton
E6 – East Ham
E7 – Forest Gate and Upton Park
E8 – Hackney and Dalston
E9 – Hackney and Homerton
E10 – Leyton
E11 – Leytonstone
E12 – Manor Park
E13 – Plaistow
E14 – Isle of Dogs, Millwall and Poplar
E15 – Stratford and West Ham
E16 – Canning Town, North Woolwich
E17 – Walthamstow
E18 – South Woodford
E20 – Olympic Park, Stratford
North London Postcodes: N1: Barnsbury, Canonbury, Islington
N2: East Finchley
N3: Finchley Central
N4: Finsbury Park, Manor House
N5: Highbury
N6: Highgate
N7: Holloway
N8: Crouch End, Hornsey
N9: Lower Edmonton
N10: Muswell Hill
N11: Friern Barnet, New Southgate
N12: North Finchley, Woodside Park
N13: Palmers Green
N14: Southgate
N15: Seven Sisters
N16: Stamford Hill, Stoke Newington
N17: Tottenham
N18: Upper Edmonton
N19: Archway, Tufnell Park
N20: Totteridge, Whetstone
N21: Winchmore Hill
N22: Alexandra Palace, Wood Green
Northwest London Postcodes: NW1: Camden Town, Regent’s Park
NW2: Cricklewood, Neasden
NW3: Hampstead, Swiss Cottage
NW4: Brent Cross, Hendon
NW5: Kentish Town
NW6: Kilburn, Queens Park, West Hampstead
NW7: Mill Hill
NW8: St John’s Wood
NW9: Colindale, Kingsbury
NW10: Harlesden, Kensal Green, Willesden
NW11: Golders Green, Hampstead Garden Suburb
Southeast London Postcodes: SE1: Bermondsey, Borough, Southwark, Waterloo
SE2: Abbey Wood
SE3: Blackheath, Westcombe Park
SE4: Brockley, Crofton Park, Honor Oak Park
SE5: Camberwell
SE6: Bellingham, Catford, Hither Green
SE7: Charlton
SE8: Deptford
SE9: Eltham, Mottingham
SE10: Greenwich
SE11: Lambeth
SE12: Grove Park, Lee
SE13: Hither Green, Lewisham
SE14: New Cross, New Cross Gate
SE15: Nunhead, Peckham
SE16: Rotherhithe, South Bermondsey, Surrey Docks
SE17: Elephant & Castle, Walworth
SE18: Plumstead, Woolwich
SE19: Crystal Palace, Upper Norwood
SE20: Anerley, Penge
SE21: Dulwich
SE22: East Dulwich
SE23: Forest Hill
SE24: Herne Hill
SE25: South Norwood
SE26: Sydenham
SE27: Tulse Hill, West Norwood
SE28: Thamesmead
Southwest London Postcodes: SW1: Belgravia, Pimlico, Westminster
SW2:
Brixton, Streatham Hill
SW3: Brompton, Chelsea
SW4: Clapham
SW5: Earl’s Court
SW6: Fulham, Parson’s Green
SW7: South Kensington
SW8: Nine Elms, South Lambeth
SW9: Brixton, Stockwell
SW10: West Brompton, World’s End
SW11: Battersea, Clapham Junction
SW12: Balham
SW13: Barnes, Castelnau
SW14: East Sheen, Mortlake
SW15: Putney, Roehampton
SW16: Norbury, Streatham
SW17: Tooting
SW18: Earlsfield, Wandsworth
SW19: Merton, Wimbledon
SW20: Raynes Park, South Wimbledon
West London Postcodes: W1: Marylebone, Mayfair, Soho
W2: Bayswater, Paddington
W3: Acton
W4: Chiswick
W5: Ealing
W6: Hammersmith
W7: Hanwell
W8: Kensington
W9: Maida Vale, Warwick Avenue
W10: Ladbroke Grove, North Kensington
W11: Holland Park, Notting Hill
W12: Shepherd’s Bush
W13: West Ealing
W14: West Kensington
Twickenham Postcodes: TW1 TW3 TW4 TW5 TW6 TW7 TW8 TW9 TW10 TW11 TW12 TW13 TW14
Bromley Postcodes: BR1 BR2 BR3 BR4 BR5 BR6 BR7
Dartford Postcodes: DA1 DA2 DA3 DA4 DA5 DA6 DA7 DA8 DA9 DA14 DA16 DA17 DA18
Enfield Postcodes: EN1 EN2 EN3 EN4 EN5
Ilford Postcodes: IG1 IG2 IG3 IG4 IG5 IG6 IG7 IG8
Sutton Postcodes: SM1 SM2 SM3 SM4 SM5 SM6
Kingston Postcodes: KT1 KT2 KT3 KT5 KT19 KT17
Harrow Postcodes: HA1 HA2 HA3 HA4 HA5 HA6 HA7 HA8 HA9
Uxbridge Postcodes: UB1 UB2 UB3 UB4 UB5 UB6 UB7 UB8 UB10 UB11 UB18
Croydon Postcodes: CR1 CR2 CR3 CR4 CR5 CR6 CR7 CR8 CR44
Romford Postcodes: RM3 RM5 RM6 RM7 RM8 RM9 RM10 RM11 RM12 RM13 RM14
Ensure to check the above list to determine if your area will be affected by the ULEZ expansion. Stay informed and be prepared for the changes that are about to come into effect.
Read More On The Topic On TDPel Media
