THE Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has said that London’s air quality has “dramatically improved” due to the drop in traffic amid the coronavirus lockdown.
Figures published by the Mayor of London on Thursday 23 April show that nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels in some of the city’s busiest roads are almost half what they were before lockdown.
It comes as countries around the world, including the UK, have reported a decrease in pollution as they come to a standstill to battle Covid-19 outbreaks.
The new figures show that central London roadside locations have seen a fall in daily average NO2 of around 40 per cent. One of London’s busiest roads, Marylebone Road, has seen a reduction in daily average NO2 of 48 per cent while Oxford Street has seen a reduction of 47 per cent, City Hall says.
Khan said: “London has one of the most advanced air quality monitoring networks in the world, which has recorded how the coronavirus lockdown has dramatically improved air quality in London.
“But this cleaner air should not just be temporary as Londoners deserve clean air at all times.
“So, once the current emergency has passed and we start to recover, our challenge will be to eradicate air pollution permanently and ensure the gains we’ve made through policies such as ULEZ (ultra-low emissions zone) continue.
“It is critical that Government keeps this in mind as part of the country’s recovery from the pandemic.”
The Mayor also highlighted air quality in London had already been boosted by measures such as the introduction of a pollution charge through the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (Ulez) 12 months ago.