Request ID: FOI-0258-2324 Date published: 23 May 2023
You asked
To whom it may concern
It has come to my attention that, as well as the 4 years out of date vehicle emissions study, which sparked the London ULEZ which has no proven measure of success in 4 years and therefore doesn't do anything except make motorists poorer and the Mayor of London and TFL richer. The Imperial College London studied the effects of tyre and brake wear on air pollution and discovered that they were estimated to contribute 52% to the particulate air pollution in 2021, with a further 24% from abrasion of roads. Conversely only 15% of pollutants were from car exhausts and 10% from vans and HGVs. The researchers at ICL have urged policymakers to redirect their clean air initiatives urgently to improving vehicle tyres, especially given that electric vehicles are harder on their tyres due to the weight of the batteries they contain.
Are the Mayor of London and TFL aware of this ICL study? And, if yes, why are they ignoring its urgency to reduce 76% of particulate pollution in favour of reducing only 25% by tackling emissions which aren't accurately being measured regularly and cannot be proven to be under or over a particular particulate level at any time other than the date of manufacture?
Are the Mayor of London and TFL actually interested in making a concerted effort to reduce particulate pollution in London or are they only concered by the financial gains that ULEZ can bring which changing tyres cannot?
Will the Mayor of London and TFL redirect their efforts towards improving tyre and brake wear which the ICL researchers have urged that they should? And if not, why not?
Am I correct in my statement that ULEZ has no quantifiable measure of success in 4 years? If not then what quantifiable measure does it have to prove that it is working?
We answered
TfL Ref: FOI-0258-2324
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 24th April 2023, detailed below, asking for information about the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ).
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy.
The Mayor and TfL prepare the London Atmospheric Inventory (https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/london-atmospheric-emissions-inventory--laei--2019), working in partnership with Imperial College and others, which includes emissions from non-exhaust particulates including from brake and tyre wear from road vehicles. The tables below - taken from the data in the inventory - show emissions for both 2019 and as forecast for 2030. The data shows that alongside substantial reductions in particulates from vehicle exhausts, we are also forecasting significant reductions in non-exhaust emissions of particulates. Non-exhaust emissions are difficult to tackle locally as this requires concerted action to improve tyre compounds, materials and brake systems - which the industry is working to do. However, reducing road traffic is one of the main objectives of the Mayors Transport Strategy alongside increasing sustainable and active travel in London (https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/mayors-transport-strategy-2018.pdf). Schemes such as healthy streets, ULEZ and public transport improvements are all part of the overall strategy which contribute to reducing emissions of particulates across London.
2019 Road Transport Emissions (tonnes)
PM10
% of Total
PM2.5
% of Total
Exhaust
337.9
12.9%
321.0
23.4%
Brake Wear
1,814.1
69.2%
721.9
52.6%
Tyre Wear
470.9
18.0%
329.6
24.0%
Total
2,622.8
100.0%
1,372.5
100.0%
2030 Road Transport Emissions (tonnes)
PM10
% of Total
PM2.5
% of Total
Exhaust
67.7
3.5%
64.3
6.7%
Brake Wear
1,362.5
70.6%
542.2
56.7%
Tyre Wear
500.0
25.9%
350.0
36.6%
Total
1,930.3
100.0%
956.6
100.0%
Reducing particulate pollution is one of the ULEZ’s main goals. In regard to measures of success, the latest report describing the impacts of the ULEZ on London’s air quality can be found here:
If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any 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,
David Wells FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
