London is shielding itself against traffic with a new charge for the most polluting vehicles

The launch of Madrid Central has sparked a series of controversies that have put those who see these traffic restrictions in the centre of Madrid as an attack on freedom of movement up in arms. The truth is that urban pollution is a very serious issue, and this is just one of the measures being taken in major cities across Europe. In London, for example, the measures are much more restrictive and include paying a fairly high charge for driving through the city centre of the British capital.

The centre of London has become an area where you have to pay a certain amount to drive through it. This is the London Congestion Charge Zone, where a charge of £11.50 must be paid each day you enter the zone, with a fine if payment is not made to obtain authorisation. This means that every vehicle that wants to drive through central London has to pay this amount. But this does not seem to be enough, so the municipal authorities have approved another charge, this time for the most polluting vehicles.

More restrictions on driving in central London

The ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone) will cover the entire area currently covered by the London Congestion Charge Zone from 8 April 2019, and over the following months new restricted zones will be added new restricted zones. Unlike the congestion charge zone, this charge will only affect diesel vehicles that predate the Euro 6 standard, that is, diesel cars manufactured before 2016. In the case of petrol vehicles, the restriction starts with models that predate Euro 4, that is, cars made before 2001.

This new rule will cost £12.50, although depending on the vehicle there will be different rates, which will be added to the £11.50 of the congestion charge zone. Thus, a diesel car predating 2016 will have to pay around £24 a day to enter central London from 7 in the morning to 6 in the evening. Although the ULEZ will be in force 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, the London Congestion Charge Zone only applies during its own hours, so the current charge is restricted to those hours.

From October 2021 it is estimated that almost the entire urban core of London will be included in this restricted zone. This measure is expected to reduce levels of particulate matter drastically, and around 100,000 people who currently live in an area with high pollution levels, above the legal limits, will avoid breathing that excessively polluted air. Will this be a trend that sooner or later reaches Spanish cities such as Madrid, Barcelona or Valencia?