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Consultations have been launched on plans to expand London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) to cover the city as a whole.
Sadiq Khan, the capital’s mayor, is proposing to extend the plan’s boundary from the North and South Circular Roads to the whole of Greater London from August 29 next year.
Drivers of vehicles that do not meet minimum emissions standards will be charged a daily fee of £12.50 to enter the Ulez.
The consultation is being conducted by Transport for London.
Analysis by the PA news agency revealed that more than 3.5 million more people will live in the ulez if it expands as planned.
The mayor’s office estimates that an additional 135,000 vehicles would be affected each day.
It warned the capital was suffering from a “toxic air crisis” with around 4,000 premature deaths in 2019 attributed to polluted air.
The boroughs of Barnet, Bromley, Croydon and Havering had the most deaths, showing poor air quality “is not just a problem in central London”, according to Mr Khan’s office.
Whether or not a vehicle is subject to the Ulez toll depends on how much nitrogen dioxide (NO2) it emits.
NO2 damages the lungs and can aggravate existing conditions such as asthma, lung and heart disease.
To avoid the fee, diesel cars must generally be registered after September 2015, while most petrol models registered from 2005 are exempt.
Mr Khan previously ruled out introducing a clean air fee that would have affected drivers of all but the cleanest vehicles.
He also decided not to pursue a proposal to charge drivers of vehicles registered outside of London to enter the capital.
