ULEZ
(Picture: Jeremy Selwyn)The Ultra-Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) netted Transport for London less income in its first month than originally expected.
The zone, which expanded to area within the North and South Circular Roads last year, charges most drivers a daily fee of £12.50 if their vehicle does not meet emissions standards.
In its first month of expanded operation, TfL earned £16m in revenue from the charge. It has previously said the amount is lower than expected.
As many as 45,800 non-compliant vehicles paid the charge on the average day in the first four weeks since the zone expanded on October 25, according to City Hall.
The expanded 147 square mile zone is around 18 times the size of the previous central zone.
A TfL performance report in December stated while ULEZ was helping Londoners “benefit from cleaner and healthier air”, income was “lower than we had anticipated due to higher compliance”.
Around 92 per cent of vehicles were compliant with the scheme in its first month.
The scheme is part of a bid by London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan to reduce air pollution in the capital.
The new figure came to light in a question asked to Mr Khan by Liberal Democrat Assembly Member Caroline Pidgeon.
In response to her question, he said: “As I said in my First Month Report, around 45,800 non-compliant vehicles paid the charge on the average day in the first four weeks following ULEZ expansion.
“Transport for London advises that the revenue generated from these charges was £16m.”
In November, TfL previously said ULEZ would generate around £600m less than hoped over three years because of drivers quickly switching to compliant models of car.
It had predicted about 135,000 cars and vans a day would pay the £12.50 levy as a result of their exhaust emissions breaching the new rules while about 2,000 HGVs would face a higher £100 charge.
This would have generated up to £2m a day, in a mixture of levies and £130 fines for motorists who failed to pay.
Drivers are able to avoid paying the charge by switching to an electric vehicle, petrol vehicle roughly less than 15 years old or a diesel roughly less than six years old.
