ULEZ Expansion_Camera Locations_Projected Revenue_Enviromental Impact Outside of London_ Success of scrappage scheme.
Request ID: FOI-1737-2324 Date published: 25 September 2023
You asked
What are the current and planned ULEZ camera locations within Crayford, Bexley and Dartford? Do any of these camera locations fall outside of the ULEZ expansion perimeter? How much revenue is ULEZ expansion expected to make and what is this money used for? How many cars have been scrapped as a result / how many scrappage scheme claims have been successful? please detail out of how many applicants. Has the amount of non-compliant cars sold outside of London as a result of ULEZ been taken into account? Will businesses that lose money as a direct result of ULEZ and customers avoiding those areas be compensated or helped in any way? Will those who now cant afford to run their car or buy a new one, be given any further financial help, perhaps from the ULEZ revenue to buy a compliant car?
We answered
TfL Ref: 1737-2324 Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 23 August 2023 asking for information about ULEZ cameras. Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Environmental Information Regulations and our information access policy. I can confirm that we hold some of the information you require. You asked: What are the current and planned ULEZ camera locations within Crayford, Bexley and Dartford? In accordance with the EIR, we are not obliged to supply the information requested on camera locations as it is subject to a statutory exception to the right of access to information under regulations R12(5)(a) – international relations, defence, national security & public safety (in this instance specifically public safety), regulation 12(5)(b) – the course of justice, the ability of a person to receive a fair trial or the ability of the public authority to conduct and inquiry of a criminal or disciplinary nature – (in this instance specifically the course of justice), and regulation 12(5)(e) – confidentially of commercial or industrial information where such confidentiality is provide by law to protect a legitimate economic interest.
The rationale for this is explained in more detail in a published response to a previous information request which is available on our website here:
https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/transparency/freedom-of-information/foi-request-detail?referenceId=FOI-0970-2324 Do any of these camera locations fall outside of the ULEZ expansion perimeter? We can advise that there are no cameras outside the ULEZ perimeter. How much revenue is ULEZ expansion expected to make and what is this money used for? TfL estimates that the London-wide ULEZ could generate up to £200 million a year in net revenue for the first two years following expansion on 29 August but this will decline sharply with no surplus by 2026/27 as compliance increases. It is a statutory requirement that any net revenue generated by our road charging schemes (the ULEZ, LEZ or the Congestion Charge) is reinvested back into London’s transport network, including investing in improving transport links in outer London. All money received from the ULEZ is reinvested into improving London’s public transport network, such as expanding bus routes in outer London. How many cars have been scrapped as a result / how many scrappage scheme claims have been successful? Please detail out of how many applicants. This information can be found in our August Scrappage Scheme Factsheet here: https://content.tfl.gov.uk/scrappage-scheme-factsheet-aug2023.pdf Has the amount of non-compliant cars sold outside of London as a result of ULEZ been taken into account? An Integrated Impact Assessment (IIA) of the London-wide ULEZ proposals was conducted by independent consultants Jacobs Ltd and assessed potential health, environment, equality, and economic impacts of the scheme consultation proposals on different groups. The IIA was undertaken at the same time as scheme development and fed into this as an iterative process. It also included some final recommendations for TfL to consider. You can read the IIA on the consultation website: https://haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk/cleanair. The study area for the assessment was the Greater London boundary, although the environmental assessment covered a larger area up to the M25. The size and density of London means that we have the most acute air quality problem in the UK, which is why we need bold and effective schemes like the ULEZ. Other large cities with high pollution levels in the UK, such as Birmingham and Bristol, have introduced, or are in the process of introducing emissions control schemes like the ULEZ. Ideally, the most polluting cars should be removed from the fleet altogether and their raw materials recycled and reused. In London, the Mayor invested £61m for scrappage schemes to support the previous expansion of the ULEZ, which removed over 15,200 polluting vehicles off the London (and UK) roads entirely, and with the £160m scrappage scheme supporting the London-wide ULEZ, will be able to remove many thousands more. The Mayor has been calling on government to fund a targeted national scheme which would help clean up the air across the whole country.
Will businesses that lose money as a direct result of ULEZ and customers avoiding those areas be compensated or helped in any way? Will those who now can’t afford to run their car or buy a new one, be given any further financial help, perhaps from the ULEZ revenue to buy a compliant car? Charities, sole traders and businesses with fewer than 50 employees that are registered in London can apply to scrap a van (£7,000 grant) or a minibus (£9,000 grant), retrofit certain vans or minibuses (£6,000 grant) or scrap and replace a van or minibus with a fully electric vehicle (£9,500 or £11,500 grant respectively). Eligible organisations can scrap or retrofit up to three vehicles. Eligible organisations can apply on the TfL website: https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/ultra-low-emission-zone/scrappage-schemes/van-minibus. 98 per cent of businesses registered in London and all charities active in London are eligible for scrappage funding. Any London resident with an eligible non-compliant car or motorcycle can apply for grants of £1,000 to scrap a motorcycle or £2,000 to scrap a car. Successful applicants can choose to receive up to two free annual bus and tram passes plus a smaller cash grant, with the total value of this package being higher than just the grant payment. There is a wider economic benefit to tackling air pollution. Research from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has shown that cleaner air could boost the UK economy by £1.6 billion per year and improving air quality in London specifically would provide an economic benefit of almost £500 million per year to the local economy due to fewer days lost due to illness. 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 Sara Thomas FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
