A London bus enters the new Ultra Low Emission Zone that has come into force in London. Drivers of older and more polluting cars face paying a new fee adding to the Congestion Charge to enter the center of the capital.
AP Photo/Frank Augstein
LONDON (AP) — In a bid to fight air pollution, London has introduced one of the world's toughest vehicle emissions standards, placing a tax on older, more polluting cars that drive into the center of the British capital.
Starting Monday, the drivers of diesel cars more than four years old and of gasoline-powered engines more than 13 years old must pay a $16.30 fee day or night when entering central London. That's on top of London's congestion charge, which is $15 between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays.
Non-compliant trucks and buses face a $130 daily fee. London Mayor Sadiq Khan says the Ultra-Low Emission Zone is necessary since thousands die annually in London alone from toxic air. He says "the eyes of the world are on us."
