Mayor's Question Time: Pollution, Cleaner Taxis, Electric Taxis And TheULEZ.

 

Given that the London Air Quality Network's air pollution sensor in Oxford Street reported a breach of the nitrogen dioxide hourly legal limit for the whole of 2014 in the first five days of this year, what action are you taking to ensure only the cleanest buses use Oxford Street?

Air pollution along Oxford Street is caused by a variety of sources including buses, taxis, freight movements and building emissions. I have been working closely with the London Borough of Westminster to address these.

 

For buses, I am retrofitting 159 older Euro 3 generation buses, which regularly serve Oxford Street, with selective catalytic reduction equipment by March 2014. This will cut their tailpipe NOx – which includes nitrogen dioxide – by up to 88 per cent. I am also increasing the number of hybrid buses from approximately a third of buses operating at the rush-hour peak to roughly half by June this year and 65 per cent by summer 2015.

 

The New Bus for London, which is the cleanest hybrid double decker in the fleet, will make a significant contribution. It is already deployed on route 390, and will also be rolled out to route 148, which passes Marble Arch, on February 15; route 10, which travels along Oxford Street, on April 26; and route 8, which passes through Oxford Circus, in June. The cumulative effect of these measures will be a significant cut in road-side nitrogen dioxide from buses.

 

For taxis, I have already retired more than 3,000 of the most polluting taxis. In January I set out a new requirement for all newly licenced taxis to be zero emission capable. The first of these will be on London’s streets from 2015.

 

Working with private sector partners, I have supported the Freight Electric Vehicles in Urban Europe (FREVUE) project to consolidate freight activity along Regent Street and using electric vehicles for zero emission “last mile” deliveries.

 

Through my Air Quality Fund, I have provided £330,000 to the Cross River Partnership to engage with businesses, Business Improvement Districts, such as the New West End Company, and the Crown Estates to raise awareness amongst staff, reduce unnecessary deliveries and tackle building emissions. I have provided a further £100,000 to Westminster for additional measures to reduce human exposure focused in and around Oxford Street.

 

By taking a comprehensive approach looking at all emission sources and working in partnership with the various businesses operating along Oxford Street, I am confident that air quality along Oxford Street will continue to improve. 

 

Further to your pledge that from 2018 "all taxis presented for licensing should be zero-emission capable", when do you expect all taxis operating in central London to achieve this target?

Zero emission capable taxis will begin to be seen on London’s streets from 2015 onward and will be mandatory for all new taxis joining the fleet from 1 January 2018. I have also announced my intention to create an Ultra Low Emission Zone in central London from 2020 and will begin consultation on potential options later this year.

 

I am currently working with a number of partners, including the Office for Low Emission Vehicles, manufacturers and financial institutions, to identify ways to provide additional financial support to accelerate the uptake of new zero emission capable taxis.

 

 

Further to your announcement that all taxis presented for licensing should be zero-emission capable by 2018, will you now implement a financial incentive scheme to encourage drivers to purchase the cleanest available taxis, as promised since 2008?

I am currently working with a number of partners, including the Office for Low Emission Vehicles, manufacturers and financial institutions, to identify ways to provide additional financial support to accelerate the uptake of new zero emission capable taxis.

Source: Dave Davies.