10 things to know about London's toxicity charge starting today

Drivers of most polluting vehicles to cough up charge

1. Drivers of older and most polluting vehicles entering the central London during peak hours will have to pay a total charge of £21.5 from today.
2. All diesel and petrol vehicles registered before 2006 that do not meet the so-called “Euro 4” European directive to regulate vehicle emissions will have to pay a fee of £10 from today, which is on top of the regular £11.50 congestion charge.
3. The zone will operate between 7am and 6pm, Monday to Friday.
4. You can also check if you are required to pay by clicking here.
5. The initiative comes after Britain’s High Court ruled that the government measures to combat air pollution were failing to comply with European Union rules on nitrogen dioxide limits.
6. Britain as one of the worst records of pollution death of any country in Europe, a major study has found. Researchers at King’s College London also found that nearly 9,500 Londoners die prematurely every year due to long-term exposure to air pollution.
7. London Mayor Sadiq Khan launched the new toxicity charge as part of his £875m effort to address the issue of air pollution in the city. He also plans to introduce an ultra-low emission zone in April 2019.
8. “Roughly speaking each year more than 9,000 Londoners die prematurely because of the poor quality air – children in our city whose lungs are underdeveloped, with adults who suffer from conditions such as asthma, dementia and strokes directly caused by poor quality air,” Khan told media today.
9. At present, motorcycles are exempt from the new charge but quadricycles or motorists tricycles must meet Euro 3 emission standards to avoid paying the charge.
10. Other cities are also taking charge to combat air pollution. Earlier this month, Oxford City Council had proposed a ban on petrol and diesel cars by 2020.