Skip to main content

London’s first Low Emission Bus Zone to tackle toxic air

London’s first Low Emission Bus Zone has been launched in Putney High Street, one of the most polluted areas of the capital. The clean bus zone, which runs a total of 145 buses on seven scheduled routes, will now be serviced by cleaner buses in a move to cut harmful nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. The route is the first of 12 new Low Emission Bus Zones to be introduced at air quality hotspots. The zones represent the most extensive network of clean buses of any major world city. The routes are one‎ p
March 15, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
London’s first Low Emission Bus Zone has been launched in Putney High Street, one of the most polluted areas of the capital. The clean bus zone, which runs a total of 145 buses on seven scheduled routes, will now be serviced by cleaner buses in a move to cut harmful nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions.

The route is the first of 12 new Low Emission Bus Zones to be introduced at air quality hotspots. The zones represent the most extensive network of clean buses of any major world city.

The routes are one‎ part of a major transformation the Mayor, Sadiq Khan, has asked 1466 Transport for London (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-decker buses from 2018.

Only buses that meet the toughest emission standards will be permitted to run within the Putney Low Emission Bus Zone. Putney High Street will also have effective bus priority measures in place to keep bus delays to a minimum and reduce unnecessary pollution caused by sitting in traffic.

A report recently released by the Mayor showed that every London borough has recorded illegally high levels of air pollution in the last two years, with Wandsworth having some of the highest levels. Wandsworth has exceeded the annual mean limit for NO2 pollution at five out of six of their automatic monitoring stations, with the sites on Putney High Street recording levels more than double the legal limit.

Eleven more Low Emission Bus Zones will follow Putney, with the Brixton and Streatham zone set to be introduced in October. The remaining ten zones will be delivered by 2020.

Related Content

  • April 26, 2019
    London debuts three more low-emission bus zones
    Transport for London (TfL) and the city’s mayor Sadiq Khan have introduced three more low-emission bus zones (LEBZ) to help reduce toxic air in the UK capital. There are now 10 LEBZs in London, which are expected to reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) by 90% along some of the capital’s most polluted roads. Buses operating within the zones meet the cleanest emissions standards and have been delivered through a combination of new and retrofitted vehicles, TfL says. The three new zones in Lewisham, Stratford and
  • July 7, 2017
    London to have three more fully-electric bus routes
    Transport for London (TfL) and the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, have announced three more electric-only bus routes in the city on routes 46, 153 and 214, the latest in a series of measures to tackle London’s toxic air.
  • October 21, 2014
    London’s strategy to tackle air quality problems
    Colin Sowman talks to Matthew Pencharz, the man charged with charting London’s path between catering for traveller needs, conserving ancient buildings and conforming to modern air quality standards.
  • July 28, 2017
    London’s mayor launches fund to help retire polluting diesel taxis
    In the latest in a series of measures to clean up London’s toxic air, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and Transport for London (TfL) have launched a US£55 million (£42 million) fund to encourage the owners of the oldest, most polluting diesel black cabs to retire them from the Capital’s fleet. Taxis are a significant contributor to London’s toxic air quality, and are responsible for 16 per cent of NOx and 26 per cent of Particulate Matter (PM) road transport emissions in central London. From today, the own