London Mayor Sadiq Khan will close the ULEZ (Ultra Low Emissions Zone) scrappage scheme next month as drivers in the capital scramble to make last-minute applications.
The announcement comes after Khan expanded the controversial scheme to more areas of greater London shortly before his re-election earlier in the year.
The scrappage scheme, which drivers can apply to in a bid to replace polluting, non-compliant cars with greener alternatives, has helped 54,000 applicants, the Mayor of London said.
Transport for London said its proposed deadline for new applications is 23:59 on 7 September, with any made before that deadline guaranteed to be processed.
Khan also said he is looking at making a donation to British Ukrainian aid, allowing non-compliant vehicles to be sent to the war-torn country. More than 330 vehicles have been donated to Ukraine.
The ULEZ scheme has proved controversial among some London drivers. When it was first implemented, a wave of vandalism targeted ULEZ cameras.
According to City Hall, the first six months of the expansion of ULEZ removed nitric oxide emissions equivalent to removing 200,000 cars from the road. It added that nitrogen dioxide concentrations in outer London were down by a fifth compared to before the scheme.
As part of the scheme, more than £186m had been stumped up for 54,000 applicants and more than £60m for 15,000 applicants in the central and inner London ULEZ region.
City hall said most older and polluting cars had already been scrapped, and application numbers had nosedived. There is reportedly a compliance level of more than 96 per cent.
Within the scheme, 36,008 Londoners had their application approved to scrap their non-compliant car or motorcycle, totalling £69,502,200 in grants.
Meanwhile, 17,936 applications were approved to scrap or retrofit a van or minibus, totalling £116,587,500 in grants.
The scheme was also used by 232 charities, with applications totalling £1,716,500 in grants, and 17,704 SMEs, approved, totalling £114,871,000 in grants.
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “I am proud that the scrappage scheme – the biggest in the UK – has supported so many Londoners to switch to cleaner, greener vehicles. ULEZ compliance has now reached more than 96 per cent, bringing cleaner air to millions of Londoners.
“I’m also pleased that after the huge success of the Ukraine scheme, I’m planning to provide additional funding so that vehicles can continue to be donated to the country once the scrappage scheme closes.
I remain committed to taking world-leading action to improve London’s air quality and encourage sustainable transport.”
Christina Calderato, TfL’s director of strategy, said: “The expanded ULEZ has meant that more than five million people are now breathing cleaner air and from the Six Month Report we have seen its success in driving down air pollutant emissions and concentrations.”
Harmful roadside nitrogen dioxide in outer London has fallen by over 20 per cent through the different phases of the scheme. The £186m we have committed so far through the scrappage scheme has been instrumental in the over 96 per cent of vehicles we are now seeing complying with the standards.”
Oliver Lord, head of strategy and UK at Clean Cities, said: “The ULEZ scrappage scheme has been a lifeline for many, and TfL’s announcement to close it is a significant moment. This now leaves a pot of money that can be strategically targeted where we need it most: driving our net zero goals.”
“Supporting small businesses to transition to electric vans and pedal power is the next crucial step. However, removing the electric van grant at this time, especially coupled with the upcoming removal of the congestion charge exemption next year, is not sending the right signal.”
“Van emissions in the UK are substantial and continue to rise. At the very least, the Mayor should keep the electric van grant alive and explore other innovative ways to use it, such as social leasing schemes.”
“This approach would put London back on the front foot, establishing the capital as leaders in sustainability business practices and zero emission mobility.”