Sadiq Khan’s ULEZ: A Success or a Disaster?
Sadiq Khan likes to portray himself as the “greenest mayor ever”. But how much of a difference has his flagship policy, the ULEZ, made to air quality? Has its controversial expansion to the Greater London boundary last August put his re-election in jeopardy? And could the Silvertown tunnel opening in summer next year – and the linked tolling of the Blackwall tunnel – open up a new battle with the capital’s drivers?
The Evidence So Far
The London Air website, run by Imperial College, showed the capital covered in more than 50 red dots in 2016 — areas where pollution exceeded the recommended limits. By last year there were 12. The Clean Air in London campaign group was so impressed it gave Mr Khan an A-rating for clean air in his second term — making him the first mayor to achieve the top score.
Transport for London’s target is to reduce roadside nitrogen dioxide by 60 to 70 per cent between 2016 and 2040. By 2022 — prior to the Greater London ULEZ — this had been reduced by 58 per cent (from 92 µg/m3 — micrograms per cubic metre — in 2016 to 39 µg/m3) in central London, and by 47 per cent in inner London (the boundary of the North and South circulars, from 61 µg/m3 to 32 µg/m3).
What impact has the London-wide ULEZ had on air quality? We won’t know until after the election, when TfL will publish its first official figures. Tory mayoral candidate Susan Hall, who wants to scrap the expansion, has accused Mr Khan of “hiding” the data. But Clean Air in London has looked at provisional data from 16 air quality monitors in outer London and says nitrogen dioxide levels appear to be “significantly” lower. The data, which is unverified, could also have been influenced by factors such as the weather or cleaner buses. A 90 per cent fall in Londoners buying new diesel cars will also have made a difference.
The Political Fallout
The ULEZ expansion has been a major source of controversy for Mr Khan. Many people, particularly those living in outer London, feel that it is unfair to charge them for driving older, more polluting vehicles. The ULEZ has also been blamed for increased traffic congestion, as drivers avoid paying the charge by taking longer, more circuitous routes.
The backlash against the ULEZ has led to a number of high-profile resignations from Mr Khan’s administration. In February 2023, his deputy mayor for transport, Heidi Alexander, quit her post in protest at the ULEZ expansion. And in March 2023, his cycling commissioner, Will Norman, also resigned, citing the mayor’s “failure to deliver a safe and accessible cycling network” as his reason for leaving.
The Future of the ULEZ
The future of the ULEZ is uncertain. If Mr Khan is re-elected, he has said that he will keep the ULEZ in place and continue to expand it. However, if Ms Hall is elected, she has pledged to scrap the ULEZ expansion and introduce a new road-pricing scheme that would charge drivers for every mile they drive.
The future of the ULEZ will be decided by the voters of London in the mayoral election on May 4th, 2023.
