New London pollution tax comes into force

LONDON: Drivers of the most polluting vehicles will face an extra daily charge for driving into central London on weekdays from Monday in a bid to improve air quality in one of Europe’s most polluted cities. London Mayor Sadiq Khan announced the new £10 charge — which will be on top of a daily £11.50 congestion charge — in February, after the European Union ordered Britain to cut air pollution.

“As mayor I am determined to take urgent action to help clean up London’s lethal air,” Khan said. “The shameful scale of the public health crisis London faces, with thousands of premature deaths caused by air pollution, must be addressed,” he added.

The charge applies to all petrol and diesel cars that were registered before the introduction of environmentally friendly Euro 4 emissions standards. Transport for London said that anyone with a vehicle registered before 2008 should check if it might be eligible for the charge.