Driving Away From Diesel

Air pollution generates disease and early death. The Mayor of London's long-announced expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ulez), coming into operation on the 25th October, has apparently resulted in there being 128,000 fewer diesel cars on that city's roads than in 2017 (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/oct/22/london-drivers-ditching-diesel-cars-six-times-faster-rest-uk-ulez). This means that Londoners are ditching diesels six times faster than in the rest of the UK. Most of this will be a consequence of the charges associated with the ulez but there are other factors particular to London. London is financially supported to provide a much better (in terms of cheapness, diversity and reliability) public transport system, than is found in other parts of the UK. Many areas of London also have wide-spread provisions for cycles. Although London has pockets of deprivation, a high proportion of its population probably has the means to invest in an electric vehicle. The provision of recharging points is also fairly well-established in the capital. Other parts of the UK will need financial help, to replicate London's abandoning of diesel.