Mayor urged to restrict driving during ozone alerts

Green Assembly member Caroline Russell has called on the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, to implement driving restrictions when ozone pollution levels are high. Russell suggested adopting measures similar to those seen in Paris, where speed limits have been reduced and older vehicles have been banned during periods of elevated ozone.

Calls for clearer warnings and action

Russell proposed that City Hall introduce an 'amber' and 'red' warning system for ozone alerts, drawing a parallel with the existing heat warning categories. She argued that the current 'moderate' and 'high' classifications are not easily understood by the public. Ground-level ozone is a harmful gas formed by the reaction of sunlight with emissions from traffic and industry. London has experienced three high ozone alerts this year, with two occurring during a June heatwave.

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She stated that the public does not fully grasp the impact of ozone pollution, particularly on individuals with lung and heart conditions. Russell believes clearer alerts would encourage more people to understand the risks and take protective measures, such as avoiding unnecessary car journeys. She highlighted Paris's approach of issuing warnings across a wide area and reducing speed limits to mitigate ozone formation and its health consequences.

“We need to be a bit more French – in Paris, they issue warnings for high ozone across a really wide area, the equivalent of Greater London, and reduce speed limits while advising people not to drive if possible, because that will lower the scale of the ozone pollution and health impact.”

Caroline Russell, Green Assembly member

Mayor's response to pollution concerns

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Mayor Sadiq Khan acknowledged that hotter summers are increasing the conditions that favour ozone formation. He indicated that he would review the user-friendliness of the current alert system and explore the potential benefits of a traffic light system with his officials. The Mayor also expressed openness to learning from effective strategies employed by other cities.