Motorbikes to pay £12.50 to ride in central London

Plans to charge motorbike riders £12.50 to ride in the London congestion charge zone have been approved today.

The new Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) will come into place in September 2020 and motorbikes aged 13 or over will have to pay the charge.

For new motorbikes, there will be no charge as long as they live up to the Euro 3 engine emission standard, which they will.

The ULEZ will be active for 24 hours a day, seven days a week, however people living within the zone will have a three-year grace period to upgrade their motorbike to one that meets the minimum requirements.

According to the London Mayor’s Office, the new ULEZ will halve nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter (PM10) emissions.

Despite motorbikes emitting just one per cent of NOx emissions in the UK, they have been lumped into the changes.

Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, said: “The world’s first ULEZ is an essential measure to improve air quality in our city, protect the health of Londoners, and lengthen our lead as the greatest city on earth.”

Currently, motorbikes do not have to pay to ride within the London congestion zone.

The new rules have been brought into place after a consultation into the ULEZ proposals was concluded earlier this year, having begun in November.

For cars, the restrictions are just as tough with diesel versions, aged five years or less in 2020 with Euro 6 engines, and petrol versions, aged 14 years or less in 202 with Euro 4 engines exempt but all other vehicles will be required to pay £12.50 per day to enter the ULEZ.

Large vans and minibuses aged four and 13 years or less respectively will also be exempt however all others must pay the daily charge of £12.50. HGVs, buses and coaches must be six years old or less or face the charge.

Johnson, who lives outside of the congestion zone, also announced £65 million of funding for London taxi drivers in an attempt to clean hackney cabs and their emissions up.