ULEZ is a London scheme formed with the aim of lowering the city’s carbon emissions. Owners of cars which do not meet the exhaust emission standards are levied a £12.50 charge every time they drive into the Ultra Low Emission Zone. Since April 2019 this has been an ever expanding plan, and now its expansion to the South Circular orbital road means that it has become an issue for the suburbs as well as the inner city. The borough of Richmond Upon Thames has been affected since October 2021 as the scheme was set in place setting the border right along the Upper Richmond Road. As a resident of this area whose family owns an older diesel vehicle, our car journeys are now heavily restricted. We find ourselves unable to drive to school, some shops, the municipal recycling centre or the hospital without paying a fee. 

 

I have always supported and understood the benefits of new initiatives to help the climate but of course that is often until you are directly affected. Due to the changes, people in the area are being forced to confront their car use. All in all this is a step in the right direction; as frustrating and costly as it is to be charged the fee daily or to have to buy a new car, carbon emissions need to be lowered and to do so sacrifices will need to be made. As the recent COP26 in Glasgow made clear, there is no time like the present for nations to act and start helping to make our environment as sustainable as possible. 

 

In response to the changes, I interviewed members of the area. Two residents of East Sheen have now been put into a position of selling their diesel car to buy a new electric vehicle. They explained, ‘Despite the hassle and the added cost we think something needs to be done about the high levels of pollution on London’s streets. This change has accelerated our plans to move to an electric vehicle; however this new extension has massively affected the already stressful traffic congestion in the borough, as well as making parking even more difficult for local residents in the streets which are not within the ULEZ.’ 

 

This brought to light the fact that Hammersmith Bridge has been closed to motor vehicles since April 2019, which has had a negative knock-on effect of even more cars on the South Circular, and this has been a massive talking point for south-west London residents with no real date for reopening to traffic in sight. 

 

Other than the personal impacts due to the costs of changing cars, not using your car or choosing to face the fine, the new ULEZ extension should help to have a positive impact on the area’s carbon footprint and the pollution its inhabitants suffer as it ultimately leads to more people either walking, cycling or going electric.