More than three hundred signs warning of the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) have been installed across London including in Southwark ahead of April, when the policy comes into force.
The ULEZ zone will stretch from Tower Bridge Road and New Kent Road to City Road and Euston Road, and will mean a £12.50 daily charge for most vehicle types which don’t meet low-emission standards.
TfL said the charge, which begins on April 8, will take the most polluting vehicles off the streets and help make the city’s air cleaner.
Nick Fairholme, Director of Project and Programme Delivery at TfL, said: “We are committed to tackling the public health crisis that is London’s toxic air. It affects all Londoners, causing 9000 premature deaths every year and reducing the quality of life for thousands more.”
Sonia Farrey, Director of Advocacy at Unicef UK welcomed the move which she said was necessary for children’s health.
She said: “Children are one of the most at risk groups from air pollution, which can leave them with lasting health problems including stunted lung growth, asthma and potentially damage brain development.”
Around 9,000 Londoners die prematurely from diseases linked to poor air quality, it is estimated.