New ULEZ zone mapped as motorists risk £180 fine for not paying charge

29 August 2023 , 06:35

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New ULEZ zone mapped as motorists risk £180 fine for not paying charge

Thousands more drivers face a daily £12.50 charge from today when the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) is expanded across all London boroughs.

ULEZ is a scheme designed to improve poor air quality in London by charging the most polluting vehicles - typically older cars. Previously, ULEZ only included all areas within the North and South Circular Roads - but this has been expanded to all London boroughs from August 29, 2023.

You can see where ULEZ will stretch to in this map below. The expansion was first confirmed by Mayor Sadiq Khan in November 2022.

Map shows the size of the latest ULEZ expansion (TfL)

It is the second time ULEZ has been expanded. The zone originally only covered the area of Central London, the same area as the congestion charge, when it was first introduced in 2019.

If your car is not compliant with ULEZ, you'll need to pay £12.50 each day you enter the zone. ULEZ operates seven days a week, except for Christmas Day, and is applicable against cars, motorcycles, vans and specialist vehicles (up to and including 3.5 tonnes) and minibuses (up to and including 5 tonnes) who do not comply with the current European emission standards.

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Lorries, vans or specialist heavy vehicles (over 3.5 tonnes) and buses, minibuses and coaches (over 5 tonnes) need to pay the LEZ charge if they do not meet the LEZ emissions standard.

You can check if you need to pay the ULEZ charge here by entering your number plate. Petrol cars generally meet the standards if they were first registered after 2005, while diesel cars generally have to be newer than September 2015.

If you do need to pay and you drive within the zone, you'll have to pay by midnight on the third day following the journey. You can pay the ULEZ fee through the TFL website.

If you don't pay the ULEZ charge, you could be issued a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) of £180. This is reduced to £90 if paid within 14 days. You don’t need to pay ULEZ if you are parked within the zone and don’t drive on that day.

Levi Winchester