Dear Sirs Air pollution in the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) and the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) I am currently doing _______, part of which involves a course work project on the impact that the introduction of the ULEZ and LEZ has had on air pollution levels in London. In order to do this, I have, amongst other things, been monitoring existing air pollution levels in both a residential road and a main road in the ULEZ and comparing these levels with the existing air pollution levels found in a residential road and a main road in the LEZ. The four roads that I have chosen for my study are all in Westminster SW1, being Erasmus Street and Horseferry Road in the ULEZ and Alderney Street and Lupus Street in the LEZ. In order to assist me in my project, could you please provide me with the following information in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the FOIA):- 1. For each of these four roads, where is the nearest monitoring station for air pollution levels? 2. What are the recorded measurements of air quality in each of the four areas where these roads are based (as shown by the relevant monitoring stations referred to in 1. above) both before and after the ULEZ and LEZ were introduced? In particular I am interested in the PM2.5, PM10 and CO2 levels. Please supply the relevant information for both the year before and the year after the ULEZ and LEZ were introduced. 3. What is the total amount of money raised in each of the ULEZ and the LEZ since they were introduced? Please show the breakdown in each case between charges levied for vehicles to enter the relevant Zone and fines paid for non-compliance. Please also provide the same figures for each of the ULEZ and LEZ for the last 12 months. 4. What is the total traffic count for each of the ULEZ and the LEZ in the 12 months before the relevant Zone was introduced and in the 12 months after the introduction of the ULEZ and LEZ respectively? If this is broken down into type of vehicles I would welcome this information too. I would be grateful if you could supply the information requested by email using my email as above ([email protected]) Thanking you in anticipation of a quick response within the timescales laid out in the FOIA.

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TfL Ref: 1888-2021

Thank you for your request received by us on 17 December 2020 asking for information about the Ultra Low Emission Zone and the Low Emission Zone schemes.

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Environmental Information Regulations and our information access policy. You asked for the following information in relation to:

Erasmus Street and Horseferry Road in the ULEZ and Alderney Street and Lupus Street in the LEZ.

1. For each of these four roads, where is the nearest monitoring station for air pollution levels?

2. What are the recorded measurements of air quality in each of the four areas where these roads are based (as shown by the relevant monitoring stations referred to in 1. above) both before and after the ULEZ and LEZ were introduced? In particular I am interested in the PM2.5, PM10 and CO2 levels. Please supply the relevant information for both the year before and the year after the ULEZ and LEZ were introduced.

3. What is the total amount of money raised in each of the ULEZ and the LEZ since they were introduced? Please show the breakdown in each case between charges levied for vehicles to enter the relevant Zone and fines paid for non-compliance. Please also provide the same figures for each of the ULEZ and LEZ for the last 12 months.

4. What is the total traffic count for each of the ULEZ and the LEZ in the 12 months before the relevant Zone was introduced and in the 12 months after the introduction of the ULEZ and LEZ respectively? If this is broken down into type of vehicles I would welcome this information too.

Transport for London and the GLA have published a variety of reports, articles and data about ULEZ and LEZ via the following links, which may be of interest:

https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/ultra-low-emission-zone - Documents and reports.

https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/about-tfl/air-quality - Scheme background information.

https://www.london.gov.uk/WHAT-WE-DO/environment/environment-publications/central-london-ulez-ten-month-report -Impact of the central London ULEZ in its first ten months of operation.

http://lruc.content.tfl.gov.uk/ulez-tfl-booklet-2.pdf - ULEZ expansion report.

https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/environment/pollution-and-air-quality/monitoring-and-predicting-air-pollution - Air monitoring information.

https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2020/april/gla---dramatic-improvements-in-air-quality-on-london-s-roa - Press release on air quality and link to ULEZ report.

https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/media/press-releases/2020/august/major-milestone-for-ulez-as-installation-of-new-infrastructure-gets-underway - Press release describing ULEZ’s impact on air pollution.

http://content.tfl.gov.uk/tfl-annual-report-2019-20.pdf - Financial Report and Accounts. Congestion Charge and ULEZ income for the 2019/20 financial year can be found in the ‘Gross income breakdown’ section, page 72. Please also see the Narrative Report and Financial Review from page 70 onwards. Corporation gross income for ULEZ and LEZ charges, page 123. Net income from ULEZ and LEZ Charging, page 124.

https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/annual-report - Previous Annual Reports and Accounts.

https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/transparency/freedom-of-information/foi-request-detail?referenceId=FOI-0109-2021 – A published response to an FOI Request about road transport and air quality data can be found here.

However, given the extent of the information you are looking for, we are applying Regulation 12(4)(b) as we believe that the request is ‘manifestly unreasonable’ because providing the information you have requested would impose unreasonable costs on us and require an unreasonable diversion of resources given the volume of data and research that would need to be extracted, analysed and suitably formatted for public disclosure.

The use of this exception is subject to a public interest test, which requires us to consider whether the public interest in applying the exception outweighs the public interest in disclosure. We recognise that the release of information would promote accountability and transparency in public services and also help address your particular concerns about this issue. However, the time it would take to provide the information you have requested would divert a disproportionate amount of our resources from its core functions and on balance we consider that the public interest currently favours the use of the exception.

We will consider your request again, if you are able to narrow its scope so that we can more easily locate, retrieve and extract the information you are seeking. In making any future request I would ask that you consider carefully what information is of most importance to you, and to take into account the guidance and advice provided by the ICO such as the “dos and don’ts” published on its website here: https://ico.org.uk/your-data-matters/official-information/

Please note that our refusal to respond to your request under EIR does not in any way suggest a deliberate unreasonableness on your part, and we fully appreciate that tube dust is a matter of legitimate public concern. However in this instance we consider that the balance of public interest is best served on ensuring specialist resources are utilised as effectively as possible as diverting these limited resources in order to provide the information requested would represent a significant distraction from our core functions.

If you are considering submitting a further FOI request please think carefully about whether the request is essential at this current time, as answering FOI requests will require the use of limited resources and the attention of staff who could be supporting other essential activity. Where requests are made, please note that our response time may be impacted by the current situation.

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

 

Jasmine Howard
FOI Case Officer
FOI Case Management Team
General Counsel
Transport for London

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