Transport for London is today (Friday 16 August) calling on any remaining Londoners who wish to use the ULEZ scrappage scheme to submit their applications by 23:59 on 7 September ahead of its planned closure.
The scheme for the expanded outer London area has now seen more than £186m committed to around 54,000 applicants. This was on top of the £61m for the central and inner London ULEZ, which led to more than 15,000 successful applications. The scheme, which opened in January 2023, was expanded to cover all Londoners in the capital ahead of the launch of the London-wide ULEZ. It has been highly successful in supporting people to adapt to the world-leading clean air zone.
The vast majority of people with older, more polluting vehicles have already taken action and application numbers have dropped sharply in recent weeks. With compliance levels in London now at over 96 per cent, the scrappage scheme has been successful in achieving its objectives. TfL has seen a 53 per cent reduction in non-compliant vehicles driving on an average day over the six months of expansion compared to June 2023.
With application volumes now considerably lower after more than 18 months of operation, it is proposed that new applicants will have until 23:59 on 7 September to submit their applications.
In addition, it is proposed that the grace period for minibuses used by not-for-profit organisations for community transport is extended from October 2025 to October 2027. Grace periods for community transport and disabled Londoners remain open until October 2027.
It is proposed that any funds remaining following the planned closure will be considered for other uses to further the Mayor’s Transport Strategy.
Any application made before the proposed deadline would be guaranteed to be processed and reviewed for eligibility. This includes people wishing to donate their vehicle to Ukraine. Following the planned winding down of the scheme, the Mayor is proposing to make a donation to British Ukrainian Aid to enable vehicles to continue being sent to Ukraine.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “I am proud that the scrappage scheme – the biggest in the UK – has supported so many Londoners to switch to cleaner, greener vehicles. ULEZ compliance has now reached more than 96 per cent, bringing cleaner air to millions of Londoners.
“I’m also pleased that after the huge success of the Ukraine scheme, I’m planning to provide additional funding so that vehicles can continue to be donated to the country once the scrappage scheme closes.
“I remain committed to taking world-leading action to improve London’s air quality and encourage sustainable transport.”
