News from the Cities
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NEWS March 2019 NO 62 le y b it a rrt r in o o ta th EMTA s spou u a s anspo tr News from the cities One-month countdown begins • Providing advice and support to more than 6,000 registered fleet customers and more than 1,000 as capital gets ready for central other stakeholders, such as small businesses, charities and health services London ULEZ • Installing more than 300 road signs warning drivers at all entry points to the ULEZ and on a Central London ULEZ number of key approach routes of the zone begins on 8 April 2019 and will introduce the toughest The Mayor and TfL are providing help for Londoners emission standards of any world city. TfL has been who still need to get ULEZ-ready with nearly £50m set working with businesses across London to help aside to encourage the scrappage of polluting vehicles. them prepare. TfL’s communications campaign has Small businesses and charities can access support to seen more than 2.7 million road users check their upgrade to the cleanest vehicles through the Mayor’s vehicle’s compliance £23m diesel scrappage scheme. The scheme offers up to £6,000 of funding to help scrap vehicles and help The central London Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) with running costs of cleaner options. starts in April 8 and Transport for London (TfL) is reminding drivers to check their vehicles online and get ready for the scheme which will help clean up London’s toxic air. Air pollution in London is responsible for thousands of premature deaths every year, affecting vulnerable people the most. The central London ULEZ – in operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week across the current Congestion Charge Zone - will help take the most polluting vehicles off London’s streets. It is a central part of the Mayor’s far-reaching work to protect London’s health from harmful air pollution and will see harmful NOx (Nitrogen Oxides) road transport emissions reduce by 45 per cent in its first year. Over the last year, TfL has worked with the DVLA A separate scrappage scheme aimed at low-income (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) to send more Londoners will launch later this year. It will enable than 600,000 letters to owners of non-compliant those on low wages to dispose of old and polluting vehicles spotted in the Congestion Charge Zone. vehicles and replace them with modern cleaner It is continuing to raise awareness of the ULEZ to alternatives or to encourage walking, cycling or the motorists and businesses, including through: use of public transport. • Posters and digital displays across the whole TfL Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy, Shirley network, alongside print, radio, online adverts and Rodrigues said: “London’s filthy air is a public health email newsletters crisis that causes thousands of premature deaths, 1 EMTA NEWS March 2019 NO 62 harms lung development in children and requires Finlay Clark, UK General Manager at Waze, said: “With urgent, bold action. We are leading the world in over 3 million drivers in London, tackling air pollution is delivering the central London Ultra Low Emission not the responsibility of one group, it needs to be tackled Zone, which is set to reduce polluting emissions by through a collective effort. Working in partnership with TfL, 45 per cent. Londoners want to breathe cleaner air Waze will be the only navigation app that supports all and with one month to go before ULEZ I’m pleased ULEZ routing considerations.” that millions of motorists have already checked if their vehicles are compliant and thousands of businesses are David Gold, Director of Public Affairs & Policy at Royal cleaning up their fleets.” Mail Group, said: “Royal Mail takes its environmental responsibility very seriously. We have invested in new, lower Alex Williams, Transport for London’s Director of emission vehicles as part of the London ULEZ programme, City Planning, said: “The introduction of the Ultra Low and continue to deploy a growing number of electric Emission Zone is now just around the corner and it is great vehicles. We also have the UK’s largest feet-on-the-street to see that so many individuals and businesses are gearing network of postmen and postwomen who make door-to- up to help tackle London’s toxic air and protect the health door deliveries six days a week.” of Londoners. “We have been working hard to ensure that drivers are Bruce Bratley CEO at First Mile LTD, said: “We service aware that their vehicle needs to be compliant if they are over 25,000 businesses in London and operate a fleet of to avoid paying the charge. We have also been supporting 70 vehicles, most of which are HGVs. As an environmental, businesses in their preparations - with many already purpose led business, it makes sense to operate with the making the move to comply. lowest possible impact on air quality – it would be futile to solve one environmental issue (low recycling rates) at the expense of another (air quality). As such, we electrified our delivery fleet and invested £3million to make sure we were ULEZ ready. “We have been working in partnership Business Improvement Districts and landlords across London to consolidate waste collections as a way of reducing vehicle movements. For example, in partnership with the landlord Grosvenor, we now deliver sacks on a cargo bike and have consolidated waste collections across their Mayfair and Belgravia estate. This has considerably reduced HGV movements in the area and delivered the added benefit of keeping the streets clear of rubbish and recycling bags.” John Maingay, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at the British Heart Foundation, said: “Air pollution is a major threat to the UK’s health. BHF-funded research “We have engaged with more than 6,000 fleet businesses has shown that tiny particles emitted from diesel vehicles to advise them of their options and have worked with enter our lungs, pass into bloodstream and remain present London’s business groups to reach thousands more. This, for months afterwards, silently damaging our heart and along with the £23m diesel van scrappage scheme, will circulatory systems. Breathing in these particles significantly help businesses replace their polluting vans with new increases the risk of a devastating heart attack or stroke cleaner ones and help create a cleaner city to the benefit in vulnerable groups, such as those living with heart failure, of everyone.” as they affect the functioning of blood vessels and put the heart under additional stress. TfL has also worked closely with Waze, the world’s largest community-based traffic and navigation app, to “The introduction of the ULEZ next month will provide provide more information to drivers who might enter a much needed, bold measure that will help deliver the zone. The app will alert drivers if their planned the sustained shift away from diesel vehicles that we route takes them into the zone or if they head towards desperately need to protect the nation’s heart health.” it. It will also provide a link to the TfL’s vehicle checker to allow drivers to check compliance if they choose to For information: TfL Press Office, continue into the zone. [email protected] 2 EMTA NEWS March 2019 NO 62 London to trial on-demand bus New zone system revolutionizes services ticket pricing in the Helsinki region Transport for London (TfL) recently launched a consultation on plans to trial During spring 2019, an innovative ‘on-demand’ bus service in Sutton in HSL (Helsinki Region South London. The new service will let people or Transport) will be groups use an app to book seats on a minibus that implementing a new will stop at more convenient locations, including zone system which will fundamentally change public areas not currently served by public transport. transport ticket pricing in the Helsinki region. The on-demand service is proposed to run from In the new system, the HSL area will be divided 6.30am to 9.30pm, seven days a week and would into four zones (A, B, C and D) independent of carry up to 14 passengers. Passengers would municipal boundaries, spreading out from Helsinki benefit from a guaranteed seat, free WiFi and USB center. Ticket prices will be based on the distance charging points and flexible stops within a certain from the center of the capital city. area. The new model reflects the reality of public transport The consultation is asking Londoners for their views in the Helsinki region where journeys across municipal on the specific area of Sutton that the service should boundaries are part of the everyday life. Short journeys cover and suggested stopping points. The trial, which across municipal boundaries have been expensive will last for a year, will help TfL gauge the level of relative to the distance traveled. Ticket names will be interest for an on-demand service and assess how it easier to understand; instead of internal and regional would work alongside the existing public transport tickets, there will be tickets for four zones. The new network in Sutton. system is easy to expand if new municipalities decide Sutton was chosen because it has relatively high to join HSL. car dependency, and TfL believes the service could encourage people to switch to a more sustainable way of travelling. In doing so, it will improve London’s air quality and reduce congestion. The Euro VI buses will meet the Mayor’s tough Ultra Low Emission Zone standards, and also accommodate wheelchairs – improving accessibility. As well as using the app, passengers will also be able to book trips over the phone.