I See London, I See Advance

Polluting vehicles must pay to drive in London under new scheme

Posted at 5:01 PM on 04 Feb 2008

Starting today, high-pollutin' trucks and buses will be fined for driving in London's new Low Emission Zone, which stretches for a not-too-shabby 610 square miles. Diesel vehicles weighing over 13 tons must register with the city transportation agency and have their emissions monitored; vehicles can be charged up to $400 for exceeding exhaust limits. A system of cameras will catch unregistered vehicles, which can be fined up to $2,000. After July, the rule will be expanded to apply to vehicles weighing over 4 tons, which would include large vans and ambulances. The zone is "the first in Britain and the largest in the world by a significant margin," according to a city transportation spokesperson. Transportation officials in the notoriously smoggy city hope the scheme will avoid up to 1,000 air-pollution-related deaths a year.

sources:  The Guardian, BBC News, Reuters, Associated Press