On this day, Ulez day – after all the misrepresentations and smothering of the concept by toxic, opportunistic politicians – there are basic facts that bear repeating. When people are breathing in polluted air, doing nothing about cleaning it up means that people will die prematurely. The connection between dirty air and asthma, strokes, Alzheimer’s, bronchus and lung cancers, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and respiratory infections is all proven. If one of your relatives or friends has suffered from any of these serious conditions, then air pollution could have been a contributory factor. And if you are still arguing that you have the right to drive a polluting, life-curtailing vehicle, then ask yourself: is that the person you really want to be?
That doesn’t mean that the capital’s now extended ultra-low emission zone, or Ulez, is the only solution, but it is the most effective one we can put in place today. The Ulez gives us the best and most immediate chance of reducing the number of people dying prematurely, children developing smaller lung capacity and many of us suffering lung and respiratory problems. I agree we should heavily regulate the use of domestic wood burners, have better public transport and dramatically increase the number of electric charging points. I’m happy to listen to anyone who makes the case for additional measures that we should be taking. But having spent 24 years campaigning for clean air, I know that there has never been a shortage of solutions – it is only the political will to implement them that has been lacking.
