Low emission zones made more than £1bn since 2019

Low Emission Zones, Clean Air Zones and Zero Emission Zones in the UK have now generated more than £1bn in fees and penalty charges since April 2019.

Freedom of Information requests issued by Peugeot found 10 zones across the UK have made £1,044,381,971 in income from motorists since April 2019.

There are currently 13 Low Emission Zones, Clean Air Zones or Zero Emission Zones across the UK, including the London Ultra Low Emission Zone. Nine of these zones charge non-compliant vehicles an entry fee, with penalty charge notices issued to drivers who fail to pay the daily charge.

The London ULEZ issued the majority of fees and fines, accounting for £875m of income generated between April 2019 (when the 24-hour ULEZ was first introduced) and June 2024. Under the Transport Act 2000, all net revenue generated by the ULEZ must be reinvested back into London’s transport network; the same law applies to all Clean Air Zones in England to facilitate “the achievement of local transport policies of the authority”.

The FOI figures exclude data on the Bristol Clean Air Zone as the city council plans to publish this information before the end of the calendar year. Data is also not yet available for the Aberdeen and Edinburgh Clean Air Zones, which started enforcement on 1 June.

The data has been published as the one-year anniversary of the London ULEZ expansion looms large.

Since the expansion of the scheme on 29 August 2023, Transport for London (TfL) has accumulated more than £226m in fees and fines. The London ULEZ, which now includes all 32 boroughs of the capital, is now the largest clean air zone in the world, according to TfL.

Eurig Druce, managing director at Peugeot UK, said: “As Low Emission Zones continue to expand across the UK, it is clear that the future of urban mobility lies in cleaner, more sustainable transportation. Peugeot is committed to supporting this transition by offering the widest all-electric vehicle line-up of any mainstream European brand, including the new E-5008 and E-3008.

“To mark one year since the ULEZ expansion, we have also enhanced offers on our electric vehicles, including up to an additional £900 saving for key workers – helping drivers avoid costly ULEZ charges but also playing a vital role in reducing air pollution in our cities.”