Pros For Low Emission Zone

National accountability
We are told that there are some 1,000 premature deaths and a similar number of hospital admissions in London each year due to poor air quality. We therefore commend the Mayor’s attempts to address poor air quality in the capital and welcome the health benefits that are to be gained from the proposed LEZ.
We would argue that improved air quality and better health are benefits to be experienced by all of the UK’s citizens and not just by Londoners, and the Mayor’s initiative is supported at national level.

Assessing the benefits of the LEZ
Any number of lives saved or quality of lives improved is of itself a significant benefit. It is in London’s interests to ensure that the benefits are realised sooner rather than later.

The inclusion of other categories of vehicles will further assist London in working towards meeting the European objectives, and more importantly increase the number of lives saved or improved. “We would urge the Mayor to consider fully the viability of extending the scheme to include other vehicles”.

I commend the significant steps taken by the Mayor and Transport for London to bring London’s buses and taxis up to euro emissions standards that would be compliant with the LEZ, both by retrofitting and by replacing older vehicles with more sustainable technologies. We welcome the incorporation of diesel-hybrid and hydrogen fuel cell buses in the TfL bus fleet and... “Urge the Mayor to continue to invest in technologies that will facilitate a move away from fossil fuels”.

What would a LEZ achieve?
•In the absence of viable alternatives, a LEZ represents the best way of achieving improvements in air quality
•Move London towards meeting 2010 objectives set in UK Air Quality Strategy and limit values set under EU Air Quality Framework Directive
•Deliver substantial reductions in tonnes and concentrations of PM10 and NO2 emitted
•Reduce the size of the area which currently exceed objectives
•Range of primary and secondary health benefits:- reductions in premature deaths- reductions in hospital admissions- reductions in respiratory problems