London to charge for older vehicles entering special ‘Ultra Low Emission Zone’

London introduced on Monday a special Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) that would charge an entry fee for older cars that don’t meet its emission standards as the city seeks to lower air pollution, according to CNN.

Owners of diesel cars older than four years and gasoline-powered engines more than 13 years old must pay a 12.5-pound ($16.30) fee when entering the zone in central London as of Monday, CNN reported, while trucks and buses would be charged 100 pounds ($130).

{mosads}The new regulations make the city the first in the world to impose a 24-hour ULEZ, according to CNN.

The zone will initially cover the same area as an existing congestion charge for the city center, but will expand to cover the part of the city between the major orbital roads by 2021, according to CNN.

Mayor Sadiq Khan has also vowed to update the city’s red buses to ensure all 9,200 meet or exceed ULEZ standards by October 2020.

“This is a landmark day for our city. Our toxic air is an invisible killer responsible for one of the biggest national health emergencies of our generation,” Khan said in a statement. “The ULEZ is the centerpiece of our plans to clean up London’s air — the boldest plans of any city on the planet, and the eyes of the world are on us.”

Khan also noted that air pollution disproportionately affects poorer Londoners. “This is also about social justice — people in the most deprived parts of London, who are least likely to own a car, suffer the worst effects of harmful air pollution,” he said, according to CNN.

About two million Londoners live in areas with nitrogen dioxide levels above the European Union’s legal limits, but the new measures will bring air pollution in the city in line with legal requirements in six years, according to King’s College London research, CNN reported.