Around 1,000 people have signed a petition to extend the ultra-low emission-zone (ULEZ) to the whole of London, including Hackney.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has proposed to create an ULEZ for all vehicles in Central London in 2019. It requires them to meet a lower emissions standard or face a daily charge. This petition calls for the proposal to be extended to cover the whole of Greater London.
We’re issuing an advisory for widespread particle #airpollution in London on Wednesday/Thursday HT @CopernicusECMWF https://t.co/HCjXUTryfi pic.twitter.com/2qcYQxlP2h
— Clean Air in London (@CleanAirLondon) March 13, 2017
Caroline Russell, a London Assembly Member for the Green Party, is delighted with the public’s response to the petition.
She told the Hackney Post: “The mayor’s proposed policies for decreasing car pollution are a start, but this petition will show him that there is support for a city wide ULEZ – more than he is already planning for. People are keen to find solutions.”
Emissions report
An air quality report said that in 2010 a total of 433 of London’s 1,777 primary schools were located in areas where NO2 pollution exceeded EU limits. Greater London Authority (GLA) comissioned the report in 2013 and released by the independent consultancy firm, Aether.
Of those 433 schools, 27 are in Hackney. De Beauvoir Primary, St John the Baptist Church of England Primary and St Monica’s Roman Catholic are in the top 100 worst hit for nitrogen dioxide levels.
The report also states that deprived boroughs tended on average to be more exposed to poor air quality than wealthier areas. It includes Hackney, Tower Hamlets and Newham.
Samir Jeraj, who ran as Hackney Green Party’s mayoral candidate in the election last year, says that Mr Khan’s current plans do not go far enough.
“The mayor’s proposition is not going to address all the issues. We need to introduce smart road pricing and reinforce the congestion charge.
Things like diesel cars are significantly worse for particulate materials. Initiatives have tended to succeed in switching people over to public transport. The money any scheme will raise can be used to improve public transport in Hackney,” he said.
The petition, currently at 975 signatures, can be found here.
Journalist, currently studying at City, University of London