Four in ten children in Central London who travelled to school by car switched to more active modes of transport, such as walking, cycling, or public transport, following the introduction of the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ)
In April 2019, London introduced the ULEZ to help improve air quality by reducing the number of vehicles on the road that do not meet emissions standards. According to Transport for London, the central London ULEZ reduced harmful nitrogen oxides by 35% and particulate matter by 15% in central London within the first 10 months of its introduction.
In a study published today in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, a team led by researchers at the University of Cambridge and Queen Mary University of London examined the impact of the ULEZ on how children travelled to school. The research was part of the CHILL study (Children’s Health in London and Luton).
Joint senior author Professor Chris Griffiths from the Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University of London and Population Health & Social Care lead at NIHR ARC North Thames said:
“Establishing healthy habits early is critical to healthy adulthood and the prevention of disabling long term illness, especially obesity and the crippling diseases associated with it. The robust design of our study, with Luton as a comparator area, strongly suggests the ULEZ is driving this switch to active travel. This is evidence that Clean Air Zone intervention programmes aimed at reducing air pollution have the potential to also improve overall public health by addressing key factors that contribute to illness.”
The study was funded by the National Institute for Health Research Public Health Research (NIHR), NIHR Applied Research Collaboration North Thames, and Cambridge Trust and conducted in collaboration with Queen Mary University of London, Imperial College, University of Bedfordshire, University of Edinburgh, University of Oxford and University of Southern California.
The content of this article was sourced from NIHR ARC North Thames, further details and more information about the study is available in their news article: More children walked or cycled to school after the introduction of ULEZ, study finds
The paper published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity is available to read here: Children’s Health in London and Luton (CHILL) cohort: a 12-month natural experimental study of the effects of the Ultra Low Emission Zone on children’s travel to school
BBC: Walking, cycling to school more likely in Ulez - report
The Independent: Children in Ulez almost four times as likely to cycle or walk to school – study
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