{
  "id": 1822307,
  "title": "Introducing Ulez was my hardest decision as mayor of London – but now we know its astonishing impact | Sadiq Khan",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/introducing-ulez-was-my-hardest-decision-as-mayor-of-london-but-now-1822307",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-18T22:30:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Guardian Business",
    "slug": "guardian-business",
    "url": "https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/aug/18/ulez-hardest-decision-mayor-london-impact-sadiq-khan"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Introducing London's Ultra-Low Emission Zone (Ulez) was one of the most challenging decisions I made as mayor, but now we have irrefutable evidence of its remarkable impact, according to a new study by Queen Mary University of London. Critics once accused me of targeting motorists, but the city's children are now breathing cleaner air, with improved lung size and function as a direct result of Ulez implementation.\n\nUpon introducing the zone seven years ago, no other city had attempted such a bold move. However, the scheme faced fierce opposition from the get-go. As I expanded Ulez to cover inner London in 2021 and the entire city in 2023, making it the largest clean-air zone globally, my detractors became even more vocal. I was accused of waging war on drivers and pursuing a policy that may not even work. Major political parties, including mine, stood against the initiative.\n\nDespite the opposition, recent years have seen critics fall silent as compelling evidence emerged to support the Ulez's success. It has dramatically reduced air pollution and enhanced air quality across the city, ultimately saving lives. Between 2019 and 2024, estimated deaths linked to air pollution in London fell by approximately 40%. The new study goes even further, highlighting how Ulez is improving the health of London's children by contributing to a cleaner atmosphere.",
  "summary": "Critics said I was attacking motorists. It’s more important for me that the city’s children are no longer breathing dangerous levels of pollution Ulez led to better lung size and function among London children, study finds When I introduced London’s clean air zone – the ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) – more than seven years ago, no city had ever attempted anything quite like it. At the time, the…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Guardian Health",
        "title": "Introducing Ulez was my hardest decision as mayor of London – but now we know its astonishing impact | Sadiq Khan",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/introducing-ulez-was-my-hardest-decision-as-mayor-of-london-but-now",
        "published": "2026-08-18T22:30:02.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}