Statement from the Chair of the London Assembly Environment Committee on the introduction of the T-Charge

Leonie Cooper AM, Chair of the Environment Committee, said:

“We absolutely must do more to prevent premature deaths and stunting children's lungs from air pollution – so we welcome the Mayor’s T-Charge as a first step towards making London’s air less toxic. However, the London Assembly Environment Committee believes even greater results could be achieved if the measures were implemented at a faster pace.

The Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) will take effect in 2019 and exemption from that will require the Euro 6 standard for diesels.

Raising awareness of this and discouraging the use of diesel vehicles in favour of much cleaner alternatives, should be top of the agenda. So should complementary measures to help shift the transportation habits of Londoners towards cheaper alternatives such as buses or trains and healthier options such as walking and cycling. ‎We'd also like the government to step up and introduce a diesel scrappage scheme to help move things forward quickly."