The Ultra-Low Emission Zone, or ULEZ, is one of the latest steps the government takes to help their fight against pollution and improve air quality in London. ULEZ enforces strict emissions standards to reduce pollution, ensuring vehicles meet specific criteria to enter restricted areas. As often happens, drivers in the capital were caught off guard by the ULEZ initiative and the latest ULEZ expansion. If you are wondering if you are ULEZ compliant or yours is one of the so-called non-compliant vehicles and would like to avoid having to pay fees and fines left and right, because it turns out you thought you were ULEZ compliant but it turns out you are not, you will need to learn a thing or two about the zone.
How do I know if I’ve been caught on ULEZ cameras?
This is one of the most frequent questions regarding the Ultra-Low Emission Zone. Unlike speed cameras, ULEZ cameras do not flash when you pass through them in a non-compliant vehicle. Instead, they just take a picture of your plate and store it for three days max. So, if you suspect that you have passed a ULEZ camera in a non-compliant vehicle, you can expect to get your ticket within three days or more.
What does ULEZ stand for?
As already stated several times, the acronym ULEZ stands for Ultra-Low Emission Zone. It operates 24 hours a day, every day of the year except Christmas Day. The idea of ULEZ was announced by then-mayor Boris Johnson in 2015 and came into effect in 2019, under the governance of Sadiq Khan. It is a fixed area in mostly Central and North London – though parts of the South London Boroughs are also included, – where only certain types of compliant vehicles can enter without paying.
The expanded ULEZ, which now covers all London boroughs as of August 29, 2023, has significantly improved vehicle compliance rates and air quality in London, reducing harmful emissions and increasing the percentage of compliant vehicles within the city.
Who needs to pay the ULEZ charge?
ULEZ charges are identical to those for the Central London Zone. The ULEZ charge applies to all vehicles that are non-compliant with the standards of the Ultra-Low Emission Zone’s standards. No exceptions are made for either visitors or residents of the areas that fall within the jurisdiction of ULEZ. The only exemptions are vehicles with a disabled class tax – they are the only types of cars, besides the ones that are compliant with the emission standards, that need to be paid.
What cars are exempt from ULEZ?
Electric vehicles, disabled class ones, and those with a Euro6 emission standard can drive within the boundaries of the ULEZ zone without having to pay. Travelers accessing Heathrow Airport need to meet these emission standards to avoid ULEZ charges. Disabled class vehicles will be exempt from paying ULEZ fees until at least 2027. Transport for London has an easy-to-use online tool that allows you to enter your vehicle’s registration number and it tells you if you have to pay or not.
How can I check if I entered the ULEZ zone?
The easiest way to know if you are approaching a ULEZ zone is to look for the bright green signs that indicate the boundaries of the low emission zone ULEZ. In addition to the boundary signs, there are such within each zone that remind you that you are in one and need to pay the fee. You can’t rely on the fact you can sneak in and out of a ULEZ zone unnoticed. More cameras, both fixed and mobile, are being placed within the zones each day. In case you don’t pay for entering the zone within three days, you will receive a Penalty Charge Notice.
The daily charge for entering ULEZ is 12.5 GBP, and can easily be paid by phone. This is significantly lower than the 90 GBP Penalty Charge notice if paid within 14 days (180 GBP after that), especially when you can enter multiple times in and out of ULEZ once you’ve paid the daily charges. If you don’t want to pay for ULEZ but are still driving a non-compliant car, you will definitely be better off using public transport.
What area is covered by ULEZ?
You can find a complete map of the ULEZ’s covered territory on the Transport for London’s website. Thus you can plan your trip around the Ultra-Low Emission Zone if you’d like to avoid paying the daily charge. Roughly speaking, ULEZ covers the whole of Central London, plus parts of literally every London borough after the 2023 expansion. It seems to be having an effect, as according to statistics, ULEZ has been successful in reducing air pollution in Central London in half, and with a quarter in both Inner and Outer London. What is more, nearly 97% of all vehicles that are driven daily through London are ULEZ compliant.