London's ultra-low emission zone begins on Monday

London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone comes into force on Monday, with thousands of motorists set to be charged a fixed £12.50 charge for entering the area without a compliant vehicle.

It means drivers in older or more polluting vehicles will pay a total of £24 to enter the central congestion charge zone, as the new fee is on top of the existing £11.50 congestion charge.

The measure is the latest introduced my mayor Sadiq Khan in a bid to get motorists to get rid of their cars - or at least the more polluting ones - and walk, cycle or use public transport more, as London’s air continues to breach EU standards for pollution.

For the first two years, the ULEZ charge will be levied on the same area as the congestion charge, which covers the core of inner London.

Automatic number plate recognition technology will recognise vehicles entering the zone, charging cars that do not meet certain standards for each day they use it.

Motorcycles and mopeds that fail to meet Euro 3 standards, or pre-2007 vehicles, and petrol cars and vans that do not meet Euro 4 standards, or pre-2006 vehicles, will be subject to the charge.

Diesel cars and vans that do not meet Euro 6 standards, or pre-2015 vehicles, will also be subject to the charge, while buses, coaches and lorries that do not meet or exceed Euro VI standards will need to pay £100 per day.

In just over two years’ time, the zone will be extended to cover everywhere within the north and south circular.