London's tougher LEZ standards to come into effect 1 March 2021

London's tougher LEZ standards are set to be introduced from 1 March 2021.

The new LEZ standards will require heavy vehicles to meet the cleanest Euro VI emissions standards for both PM and Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) in order to avoid the daily charge, rather than the Euro IV standard currently required of vehicles of this type. These standards were previously set to come in at the end of October 2020 but, in response to the impact of the pandemic, were delayed for at least four months. Following a review, it is now confirmed that they will come in on 1 March 2021.

The Mayor of London has announced a new heavy vehicle scrappage scheme to help them prepare for the tougher LEZ standards. It gives small businesses and charities with heavy vehicles £15,000 to replace or retrofit their vehicle.

The new, tougher LEZ standard coincides with the enforcement of TfL’s Direct Vision Standard (DVS) from March 1 2021. The DVS, to be introduced in partnership with London Councils, will reduce blind spots in HGVs of more than 12 tonnes, with a safety permit system that assigns vehicles a star rating based on how much the driver can see directly through their cab window. HGVs with a zero-star rating will be required to fit additional vehicle safety features.

The DVS is part of TfL’s Vision Zero commitment to tackle the number of people being killed and seriously injured on London’s roads.

Vehicle owners can check their compliance with the new LEZ emissions standards, due to come into force from 1 March 2021, by visiting Tfl.gov.uk/lez or searching ‘LEZ’.