Request ID: FOI-0061-2324 Date published: 04 May 2023
You asked
Please advise from the information you hold
1. Why are 40 year old vehicles exempt from ULEZ
2. Why are 40 amd not 30 year old vehicles exempt from ULEZ
We answered
TfL Ref: FOI-0061-2223 Thank you for your request which we received on 5 April 2023, asking for information about historic vehicles and the ULEZ. Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) and our information access policy. I can confirm TfL does hold the information you require. All vehicles constructed before 1 January 1973 and those that are registered with the DVLA for ‘Historic’ Tax Class are exempt from ULEZ charges and this exemption moves forward on a rolling system. 1 January 1973 is the date from when vehicles were manufactured to standardised emission regulations and therefore suitable for retrofit solutions. At the time of the implementation of the LEZ, it was also the date the Government used to exempt vehicles from vehicle tax for historic reasons. The ULEZ was introduced as a variation to the LEZ scheme order, and the consultation proposed that the same exemption would apply. With effect from 1 April 2015, the Government changed the definition of an historic vehicle to include vehicles constructed before 1 January 1976, with the intention that this would be rolling year-on-year. Therefore these vehicles are included in the ULEZ exemption as it aligns with the Government’s latest position on historic vehicles. Historic vehicles account for less than one per cent of traffic in central London, meaning that the impact on air quality of this exemption is negligible. The rationale for the exemption comes from the Report to Mayor for Central London ULEZ (from March 2015). If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for some reason, please do not hesitate to contact me. Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed. Yours sincerely Eva Hextall FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
