London Mayor Proposes Extra Charge for Owners of Most Polluting Cars

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said that vehicles that do not meet the polluting standard would pay a daily charge of around £10 to enter Central London, in addition to the Congestion Charge (currently £11.50) and any Low Emission Zone charges that are applicable.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — London Mayor Sadiq Khan announced on Tuesday a proposal to oblige owners of old and polluting vehicles to pay a 10-pound ($13) charge to drive through central London as part of a wide-ranging package of measures for tackling the air pollution in the capital.

The charge would apply to cars which were first sold before 2005 and the measure is expected to take effect in the beginning of 2017. The charge would be imposed on top of the existing $15 congestion charge, according to the mayor's proposal.

"Vehicles that do not meet the standard would pay a daily charge of around £10 to enter Central London, in addition to the Congestion Charge (currently £11.50) and any Low Emission Zone charges that are applicable," the mayor's plans, published on the London administration website, reads.

Khan's proposals also include the implementation of the central London Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) one year earlier, in 2019, and expanding the ULEZ beyond central London in 2020.

The proposals are now open for discussions.

According to the official statistics, nearly 10,000 Londoners die annually due to air pollution and the cost of health impacts caused by air pollution on London’s economy is estimated to reach $5 billion.