Hackney Council is creating two ultra-low emission zones in Hoxton and Shoreditch from 3rd September – the first of their kind.
The pedestrian and cycle zones will only allow road access to vehicles emitting fewer than 75g CO2/km emissions, and local permit holders between 7am and 10am, and 4pm and 7pm Monday to Friday.
The move has been criticised by the Freight Transport Association, which said it would hurt local businesses.
“This new scheme is effectively a ban on HGVs, given that there is currently no availability of these types of vehicles on the market or even a definition of an Ultra-Low Emission Truck (ULET),” said Denise Beedell, policy manager for vans and urban.
“It is a real shame that Hackney Council did not engage with us at the earliest stages of developing this scheme as we could have helped them avoid these pitfalls.”
