Londoners might not have to pay the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) forever as plans suggest Transport for London (TfL) is considering creating a 'pay as you drive' scheme.
It comes as the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan plans to expand the ULEZ to cover all of Greater London from August 29.
The expansion will see all vehicles that do not meet emission standards pay a daily fee of £12.50 in a bid to help tackle the capital's air pollution and improve the quality of life in the region.
But, now TfL is looking to replace the ULEZ and Congestion Charge with a new scheme, 'pay as you drive', according to the Metro.
I refuse to stand by and allow the harmful effects of air pollution to damage Londoners’ health. ⁰
— Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan (@MayorofLondon) February 21, 2023
The right to breathe clean air shouldn’t be a postcode lottery. The London-wide expansion of the ULEZ will save lives.⁰@BBCBreakfast
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Pay as you drive scheme could replace ULEZ under new TfL plans
The new scheme comes after the London Assembly transport committee held a consultation on the ULEZ expansion and saw evidence of the benefits of smart roads charges.
As TfL's director of transport strategy and policy, Christina Calderato said: "What we really need to do is move everybody around in a more sustainable way.
"That’s a multi-faceted approach, with investment and providing infrastructure for people to make different choices."
Adding: "But road user charging can be part of how you use your limited road space that we have in London most effectively."
The director of the transport strategy and policy also shared that she would like to start the charges during its "earliest possible stage", but did add that she recognises that any formal plans would need to go to public consultation.
With hints of a potential pay-as-you-drive scheme, it would see the use of advanced technology in modern cars to help calculate distance, when, where and motorists drive, according to MyLondon.
The information would then be stored allowing drivers to use the new scheme that would be similar to the pay-as-you-go phone bills.
The strategy would be in line with TfL aim to reduce the number of cars on roads across London.
As a spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: "TfL has outlined how one future option could be to abolish existing charges and replace them with a single simpler road user charging scheme which could take into account factors such as local public transport availability, employment and income, but the technology required is still many years away."
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