Mayor launches Low Emission Bus Zone

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has delivered the capital’s first ever Low Emission Bus Zone in Putney High Street. The clean bus zone, served by 145 buses on seven scheduled routes, will now feature cleaner buses in an effort to cut nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. The route, running from Putney Station to Putney Bridge Road, is the first of 12 new Low Emission Bus Zones. The routes are one part of a major transformation the Mayor has asked TfL to deliver to reduce emissions from London’s bus fleet, including the phasing out of diesel only buses and a commitment to purchase only hybrid or zero emission double deckers from 2018. Eleven more Low Emission Bus Zones will follow by 2020, with the Brixton and Streatham zone next to be introduced in October.

Sadiq Khan said, ‘London’s toxic air is an outrage and I promised to make cleaning it up one of my top priorities. Today, I’m delivering on that pledge by introducing our first ever Low Emission Bus Zone. I have asked TfL to remove the oldest, dirtiest buses from our streets and this new route, along with the 11 others we’ll be introducing, will make a big difference to the pollution caused by our public transport system. I now need other cities around the world to work with me to demand cleaner bus technology so we can phase out diesel buses altogether. I can’t do this alone, that’s why I am repeating my call to the Government to take their responsibility seriously and introduce a national diesel scrappage fund to help get the most polluting vehicles off our roads and to give me the powers to tackle other sources of air pollution.’