Examination of Witnesses (Questions 320
- 321)
WEDNESDAY 28 JANUARY 2009
MS MICHELE
DIX, MR
KULVEER RANGER
AND MR
NICK LESTER
Q320 Chairman: Could you tell us
what benefits the Low Emission Zone has brought?
Ms Dix: The Low Emission Zone
has brought so far a 2% reduction in some of the air quality pollutants
which are given out and in terms of the heavy diesel engine vehicles
which come into Central London over 95% of them are compliant
with the Euro III standard. So of the vehicles which are coming
in and are subject to the Low Emission Zone scheme the majority
are compliant and as a result of that—and it has only been
operating a year—there is a 2% reduction in some of those
vehicle emissions, so it is taking us towards the EU objectives
which the scheme was set to address.
Q321 Chairman: Finally, how much
money is currently being lost because foreign registered vehicles
are not paying UK charges like the Congestion Charge?
Mr Lester: Overall in London we
estimate that for parking and similar charges between 8 and £12
million a year is lost from foreign registered vehicles. Congestion
charging is a similar amount and if you turn that into the economic
effect, not just the financial effect, you can double that again,
so overall it may be as much as £50 million a year in economic
disbenefits because effectively foreign registered vehicles are
immune from enforcement on congestion charging, parking and traffic
regulation.
Chairman: Thank you very much for coming
and answering our questions. It was very helpful.
| 
