London Mayor Sadiq Khan has announced a plan to expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone to cover the entire city. 

The news comes after Mr Khan has asked Transport for London (TfL) to consult on extending the scheme’s boundary from the North and South Circular Roads to the whole of Greater London by the end of next year.

This means that drivers for vehicles that do not comply with minimum emissions standards are charged a daily fee of £12.50 for entering the Ulez area.

Whether or not a vehicle is liable for the charge depends on how much nitrogen dioxide (NO2) it emits.

The change comes as NO2 can damage lungs and make existing conditions such as asthma and lung and heart disease much worst. 

In order for diesel cars to avoid the charge they must generally have been registered after September 2015, whilst most petrol models registered from 2005 are also exempt.

Mr Khan has ruled out introducing a Clean Air Charge, which would have affected drivers of all but the cleanest vehicles.

He will also not go ahead with a proposal to charge drivers of vehicles registered outside London for entering the capital.

On a visit to Forest Hill School in south-east London, Mr Khan relayed his plan of expanses saying: "In weighing up the different options, the rising cost of living was a key consideration for me.

"Because at a time when people’s budgets are under pressure, I’m not willing to ask people to pay more unless I’m absolutely convinced it’s justified to save lives and protect the health of Londoners."

Adding that he believes "the proposal to extend the Ulez London-wide will have the biggest effect on emissions and congestion relative to the potential financial impact on Londoners as a whole.

"We are also proposing to introduce the biggest scrappage scheme feasible to help Londoners on low incomes, disabled Londoners and businesses."

Back in October of last year, the Ulex expanded from the  Congestion Charge area to the North and South Circular roads.

However, Mr Khan has said there is "still far too much toxic air pollution permanently damaging the lungs of young Londoners and leading to thousands of deaths every year."

The mayor has also asked TfL to explore how motorists can be charged on a per-mile basis depending on how polluting their vehicles are, the level of congestion in the area and access to public transport.