Transport for London
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New zone is a breath of fresh air
The first of 12 Low Emission Bus Zones has launched to tackle toxic air in the Capital.
The new zone, which will be serviced by cleaner buses to cut harmful nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, runs from Putney station to Putney Bridge Road and includes 145 buses on seven routes.
Putney High Street exceeded hourly legal levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) on 1,248 occasions last year. Under EU rules, the limit should not be exceeded more than 18 times annually. Now, only buses that meet the toughest emission standards are permitted to run within the zone.
The Mayor, who described London's toxic air as 'an outrage', said: '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.'
The zones are one part of a major transformation that TfL will be carrying out on behalf of the Mayor to reduce emissions from London's bus fleet, including phasing out diesel-only buses and buying only hybrid or zero-emission double-decker buses from 2018.
Following Putney, there will be 11 more zones, with the Brixton and Streatham zone set to start in October. The others will be implemented by 2020.
