CPT: LEZ plans could cripple £186m industry

The Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) has told Mayor of London Sadiq Khan that plans for the LEZ in 2020 could cripple the group tourism industry.

Following the announcement that all coaches and buses visiting the capital from October 2020 will be required to meet the Euro VI emission standard within the existing LEZ, CPT has pointed out the huge financial impact on London’s tourism economy.

Commenting on the announcement, Simon Posner, CPT Chief Executive, said: “CPT has been engaged with TfL and industry partners for many years on a number of air quality and congestion reducing initiatives for London.

“A delegation of industry representatives, led by CPT, expressed their concerns in a meeting with the Deputy Mayor for Transport, Val Shawcross, who clearly understood the industry’s position and acknowledged that any expansion to the ULEZ would present many operators with an insurmountable problem.

“CPT remains convinced that the expansion of ULEZ, in addition to the early introduction of the scheme in the central area, will have a serious impact on day-to-day coach operations as well as a detrimental impact on London’s tourism economy.”

A report commissioned by CPT found that the benefit to London’s economy of coach tourism was in the region of £186 million.

Simon Posner continued: “While we continue to support the Mayor’s plans to improve London’s air quality, penalising visiting coaches which are part of the solution and not the problem is not the way to go about it. Buses and coaches are key to reducing pollution, alleviating congestion and providing quicker journey times in the capital, and it is extremely disappointing that this announcement fails to recognise the role that these important modes have to play.

“CPT and the coach industry plans to meet with the incoming Deputy Mayor for Transport, Heidi Alexander, in order to help find a workable solution for London, its tourism economy and visiting coaches.”