To combat pollution, this city will make motorists in old cars pay levy

Worsening air quality is a major source of concern for cities across the world and many of these cities recognize vehicular emission as a major contributor to pollution. London is one where authorities have now decided to impose a levy on anyone driving in in an old and/or polluting vehicle.

Reuters has reported that London will impose a levy of 12.50 pounds (approximately ₹1300) on older vehicles entering an Ultra Low Emission Zone which has been marked withing city limits. It is further reported that this levy would be imposed on petrol models that do not meet the Euro 4 standards and diesel models that do not meet Euro 6 standards.

London already imposes 15 pounds as congestion charge at designated times of the day but there are several exemptions with it.

The objective of such charges and levy may primarily be to deter motorists from taking out their possibly polluting vehicles and driving them, especially within London city limits.

At a time when electric cars are increasingly becoming popular, it may also make sense for someone to switch to battery-powered options rather than pay such levy on a regular basis. Several big automotive brands already have electric cars on offer in the UK and experts believe the pace of adoption of such vehicles is and will continue to rise in coming times.