When the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) comes into effect in April 2019, please confirm how many of TfL’s polluting buses will be hit by the £100 charge per day? What percentage of TfL’s overall bus fleet do these buses account for, please? In addition to the percentage figure, please provide the actual value. Also, what is the operating cycle on average of these polluting bus on a weekly basis - daily, twice, thrice... a week?

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TfL Ref: 2271-1819

Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 27 November 2018 asking for information about buses and 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. I can confirm that we hold some of the information you require. You asked: When the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) comes into effect in April 2019, please confirm how many of TfL’s polluting buses will be hit by the £100 charge per day? What percentage of TfL’s overall bus fleet do these buses account for, please? In addition to the percentage figure, please provide the actual value. Also, what is the operating  cycle on average of these polluting  bus on a weekly basis – daily, twice, thrice... a week?

No TfL-contracted buses will incur the ULEZ charge in April next year as TfL has been working hard to upgrade or replace the entire central London fleet to meet this compliance milestone.  By 2020, single-deck buses will be raised to the higher zero-emission standard – one of the stepping stones to all buses across London emitting no tailpipe emissions by 2037 as part of the Mayor’s Transport Strategy. 

We do not hold figures for average operating cycles through the ULEZ area on a daily or weekly basis. Across the network as a whole, around 490 million kms will be operated this year. In the peak, around 8,000 buses operate. Services operate every day apart from Christmas Day. Buses operate diverse ranges because of the different journeys people wish to make across the capital.  However, from this data provided, you may be able to generate a rough average for the bus network.

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

Sara Thomas

FOI Case Management Team

General Counsel

Transport for London

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