Over half of London motorists aren’t aware of ULEZ expansion – survey

London’s Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) is due to expand on Monday (October 25), yet a new survey has highlighted that many drivers from the city remain unaware of the changes.

Cars, motorcycles, specialist vehicles and minibuses will be required to meet the ULEZ emissions standards or pay a £12.50 daily charge in the zone, which extends to the North Circular Road (A406) and the South Circular Road (A205).

However, a survey of 2,000 London motorists by used car marketplace Motorway found that only 43 per cent of people were aware that the zone is due to expand on Monday.

In fact, though 73 per cent of people were aware that the zone includes Central London, only 29 per cent knew that it stretched across large areas of South West London including Croydon and Kingston upon Thames.

Just 33 per cent knew that the new zone includes areas of West London including Brent and Ealing, while 33 per cent were aware that areas in the north of the city would be covered.

The requirements for the ULEZ are that motorcycles, mopeds, motorised tricycles and quadricycles must meet Euro 3 emissions standards, while petrol cars, vans, minibuses and other specialist vehicles must meet Euro 4 standards.

Diesel cars, vans and minibuses and other specialist vehicles, meanwhile, must meet more stringent Euro 6 standards, with lorries, buses and coaches and other specialist heavy vehicles required to meet Euro VI standards.

As a result, one in seven plan to sell their vehicle within the next six months to avoid the price increases, with two-thirds of respondents likely to buy an electric vehicle, which doesn’t qualify for the ULEZ charge.

Tom Leathes, CEO at Motorway, said: “Despite having over three years to prepare for the ULEZ expansion, more than half of drivers in and around London are clearly still in the dark about this news and will get a nasty surprise when they cross the north or south circular on Monday. If the car you’re driving means you’ll be charged when you enter the ULEZ, then selling it may be an obvious choice to save money.

“With used car prices at an all-time high, now is a great time to sell – and even non-compliant cars are going for great prices as those who live outside of Clean Air Zones like the ULEZ won’t be feeling the pinch of these fuel charges.”