Institution of Mechanical Engineers' Response to the Ultra Low Emission Zone in London

Dr Jenifer Baxter, Head of Engineering at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, comments on today's launch of the Ultra Low Emission Zone in central London:

“We welcome today’s launch of the Ultra Low Emission Zone in central London. It is an important step, however we need to be making a much more determined effort to deal with transport emissions across the UK.  

We need to monitor transport emissions more effectively to have better evidence about pollution sources, which will help us decide on the best solutions for our communities.  

In particular, we would like to see the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs work with the Department for Transport to introduce emission monitoring equipment across our transport network for example in streets, underground stations and enclosed railway stations along with real-time on-vehicle monitoring.

We called for a Clean Air Act in our A Breath of Fresh Air report, where we outlined our need for coherent and consistent monitoring of transport emissions, so informed targets can be set. We recommended incentives for freight deliveries outside peak hours and highlighted the potential to retrofit diesel trains to cut emissions while trains are standing at platforms.”