LONDON LOW EMISSION ZONE WELCOME STEP TO TACKLE CLIMATE CHANGE - TUFFREY

3.17.07pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 11th May 2007

This week the Mayor of London formally approved plans for a London Low Emission Zone, to be launched in February 2008.

Mike Tuffrey, Leader of the Liberal Democrat London Assembly group and Environment Spokesperson, welcomed the initiative which would help to cut emissions from some of the most polluting vehicles on London's roads, but called for the scheme to be taken further.

Mike Tuffrey said:

'The LEZ is a step forward for London, helping to reduce some of the 1000 premature deaths caused each year by poor air quality. It is regrettable that some of the most important aspects of the scheme have been downgraded from original proposals however. Not only has the timeframe for heavier vehicles to meet Euro IV requirements slipped but the scheme has also failed to include standards on NOX and ultrafine particles (Pm 2.5)'

'The LEZ alone is not going to make London compliant with EU air quality standards. London needs to monitor the progress of similar schemes introduced in other European cities. We need to look towards incorporating cars and petrol vehicles to encourage the more widespread adoption of clean engine technologies and a move away from fossil fuels'.