Classic and historic vehicles could be effectively banned from eight-square-miles of London’s financial and business districts, threatening businesses, forcing events to cancel and inconveniencing countless private owners, it has been discovered. A proposal first put forward by London’s Mayor in 2009 to restrict central London to zero and ultra low emission vehicles by 2020 – the ULEZ – has gained further traction following a recent stakeholder forum. The proposed changes will see the current Congestion Charging Zone off-limits to all but the most environmentally friendly cars – or risk picking up a fine – within the next six years.
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “Creating the world’s first big city ultra low emission zone has the potential to be a game changing moment in the quality of life of our great capital. My vision is a central zone where almost all the vehicles running during working hours are either zero or low emission.”
While heavily polluting diesel vehicles are the main contributors to London’s increasing levels of Nitrogen Oxides, it is expected that historic vehicles – and classic car events such as the Regent Street Motor Show – may get caught up in the legislation.
