Ulez proposals and effectiveness of existing ulez and congestion charging
Request ID: FOI-1701-2223 Date published: 23 November 2022
You asked
Dear sirs I identify each question separately under the freedom of information act . No question is impossible to answer as it is based on factual evidence or intention.
Qu 1 the previous ulez and congestion charges for inner London are yielding how much profit year on year over cost of implementation ?
Qu2 what are profits for question 1 being spent on in detail not grand vague intentions .
Qu 3 what reductions in pollution can be attributed to ulez and congestion charging borough by borough for inner London.
Qu4 what increases in pollution have been created by traffic restrictions involving bus lanes , cycle lanes and other devices such as phasing of traffic lights , yellow no go boxes etc,?borough by borough .
Qu 5 what increases in congestion have resulted in the above measures in Qu4 borough by borough ?
Qu6 what is the net cost to the economy of measures in Qu4.and 5 Qu 7 The proposals for Greater London being proposed have been exposed as being erroneous in some areas . Having asked for proposals in the consulting document based on erroneous information . Is tfl resubmitting this proposal with the correct information or face charges of incorrect information .
Qu 8 if ulez proposals based on previous experience increase congestion and pollution as requested in Qu 4 and 5 what credence can be given to ulez in Greater London Thank you for the democratic manner the FOI. gives the man in the street .
Qu 9 what are ulez incomes to be spent on in Greater London if project goes ahead in detail .
Clarification received for Q1 27/10/2022: How much it cost to set up and operate the Congestion Charge Zone, the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) and the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), and how much revenue they have generated, up until the end of the last financial year (31st March 2022).
We answered
TfL Ref: FOI-1701-2223
Thank you for your request of 13th October 2022 (and subsequently clarified on 27th October 2022) asking for information about our Road user Charging schemes.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy.
I can confirm that we hold some of the information you require. Your questions are answered in turn below:
Question 1: How much has it cost to set up and operate the Congestion Charge Zone, the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) and the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), and how much revenue have they generated, up until the end of the last financial year (31st March 2022).
Answer: We publish information about income and expenditure in our Annual Reports and Statements of Accounts which can be found on our website at https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/annual-report. The Congestion Charge (CC) and Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) have been included as separate sources of income since the start of the respective schemes, and the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) has been included since 2019/20. In the latest Annual Report (for the year 2021/22), for example, Congestion Charge income can be found on page 139 and LEZ and ULEZ income can be found on page 140.
In accordance with section 21 of the FOI Act, we are not obliged to supply you with a copy of the requested information as it is already accessible to you elsewhere.
Start up and implementation costs for each scheme is shown in the table below. The costs include improved access to public transport, staffing and the signs, cameras and back-office systems needed to make the scheme operational. We always seek to deliver the infrastructure needed to operate our schemes in the most cost-effective way possible.
Scheme
Start Date
Start Up Costs
Central London CC
Feb-03
£161.7m
Greater London LEZ
Feb-08
£45.4m
Central London ULEZ
Apr-19
£48.6m
ULEZ Expansion
Oct-21
£115.0m
Question 2: What are profits for question 1 being spent on in detail not grand vague intentions.
Answer: As explained in the Annual Reports referenced above, we reinvest every penny of our income to continually improve transport in the Capital.
Question 3: What reductions in pollution can be attributed to ulez and congestion charging borough by borough for inner London.
Answer: The reduction in air pollution due to the implementation of the ULEZ expansion has been discussed in the Expanded ULEZ 6 Month Report, published by the GLA in collaboration with TfL, on July 2022 (available online here: https://www.london.gov.uk/programmes-and-strategies/environment-and-climate-change/environment-publications/expanded-ultra-low-emission-zone-six-month-report). The report includes a detailed analysis of NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) monitoring data trends, which allowed to estimate the beneficial impacts of the ULEZ expansion. The information is unfortunately not available at borough level, given the variability in the number of air quality monitoring stations installed in each borough, which is why the analysis has been done at zonal level (London Central, Inner and Outer). Please note that additional information will soon be released as part of the ULEZ expansion 1-year report, which will discuss the impact on road transport air pollutant emissions, as well as NO2 concentrations.
Question 4: What increases in pollution have been created by traffic restrictions involving bus lanes , cycle lanes and other devices such as phasing of traffic lights , yellow no go boxes etc,? borough by borough .
And;
Question 5: What increases in congestion have resulted in the above measures in Qu4 borough by borough?
And;
Question 6: What is the net cost to the economy of measures in Qu 4.and 5?
Answer: The requested information is not held. Traffic flows, emissions from vehicles, and concentrations of pollutants in London are influenced by many factors and not just the presence of infrastructure such as bus lanes, cycle lanes and yellow boxes. It is clear, however, that the overall trend of pollution levels in London is downwards with greater improvements over recent years than those prior to 2016 when trends where generally flat or increasing. Information on pollution levels across London show that a mix of policies which target emissions from vehicles such as ULEZ alongside measures to improve active travel, safer journeys, and more sustainable modes of transport can together lead to improving air quality. You can find out more about pollution levels in London on the London Air Quality Network (available online here: https://www.londonair.org.uk/LondonAir/Default.aspx).
Question 7 The proposals for Greater London being proposed have been exposed as being erroneous in some areas . Having asked for proposals in the consulting document based on erroneous information . Is tfl resubmitting this proposal with the correct information or face charges of incorrect information.
Answer: This is not a request for recorded information under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act. In any event, it is unclear exactly what is being asked in terms of a request for explanation.
Question 8: If ulez proposals based on previous experience increase congestion and pollution as requested in Qu 4 and 5 what credence can be given to ulez in Greater London Thank you for the democratic manner the FOI. gives the man in the street.
Answer: We do not have evidence to date that supports the view that ULEZ has increased congestion or pollution.
Question 9: What are ulez incomes to be spent on in Greater London if project goes ahead in detail?
Answer: Please see the answer to Question 2. As with the existing road user charging schemes, including the current ULEZ and Congestion Charge, surplus revenue from any future expansion of ULEZ must be spent on delivering the Mayor’s Transport Strategy. For example, this would include schemes which improve opportunities for the use of sustainable transport in London including initiatives to encourage walking and cycling as well as investment in bus services and public transport to maintain and enhance their attractiveness as an alternative to private car use.
If this is not the information you are looking for 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
