The Impact of New Air Quality Regulations (ULEZ) on London PHV Drivers

This report investigates the impact of the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) air quality regulations on private hire vehicle (PHV) drivers in London. It identifies the problems associated with declining air quality and the implications of ULEZ on the professional lives of PHV drivers. The research explores the relationship between ULEZ and PHV drivers, examining the financial and operational challenges faced by drivers, including increased operational costs and the need for vehicle upgrades. The report reviews existing literature to understand the impact of ULEZ on the environment, transport industry, and the private hire sector. It employs a mixed-methods approach, including thematic analysis of collected data. The findings reveal the need for better regulation to curb air pollution, the implications of ULEZ on the environment, and the specific challenges faced by PHV drivers in London. The report concludes with recommendations for PHV drivers to adapt to ULEZ, including suggestions for government support and the adoption of cleaner vehicle technologies, providing valuable insights into the complex interplay between environmental regulations and the transport industry.

Running head: IMPACT OF NEW AIR QUALITY REGULATION ON PRIVATE DRIVERS
IMPACT OF NEW AIR QUALITY REGULATION ON PRIVATE DRIVERS
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1IMPACT OF NEW AIR QUALITY REGULATION ON PRIVATE DRIVERS
Table of Contents
1. Introduction..................................................................................................................................2
1.1 Problem identification...........................................................................................................2
1.2 Problem statement.................................................................................................................2
1.3 Aim of the research................................................................................................................3
1.4 Research objectives...............................................................................................................3
1.5 Research questions.................................................................................................................3
Literature Review............................................................................................................................4
4. Methodology..............................................................................................................................10
4.1 Research Design, Research Approach and Research Type.................................................10
4.1.1 Research Philosophy.....................................................................................................10
4.1.2 Research Approach:......................................................................................................11
4.1.3 Research Design...........................................................................................................12
4.1.4 Research strategy..........................................................................................................12
4.1.5 Data Collection process................................................................................................12
4.2 Rationale..............................................................................................................................13
5. Access to Data Research Ethics.................................................................................................14
5.1 Access to Data.....................................................................................................................14
5.2 Research Ethics....................................................................................................................14
6. Limitations.................................................................................................................................14

2IMPACT OF NEW AIR QUALITY REGULATION ON PRIVATE DRIVERS
Results............................................................................................................................................15
Thematic Analysis.....................................................................................................................15
Theme 1: The need for better regulation to curb the air pollution levels across London......15
Theme 2: The implications of the ULEZ on the environment and transport industry..........16
Theme 3: The implications of ULEZ on the private hire drivers in London.........................17
Theme 4: Future implications of the ULEZ on PHV drivers................................................18
Summary................................................................................................................................19
Analysis.........................................................................................................................................19
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................22
Recommendations..........................................................................................................................24
References......................................................................................................................................27

3IMPACT OF NEW AIR QUALITY REGULATION ON PRIVATE DRIVERS
1. Introduction
1.1 Problem identification
The focus of the study is to effectively analyze the effect of the ULEZ air quality
regulations on the private hire drivers of London. The issue is considered as it can have far
reaching impact on the professional lives of the drivers in London. ULEZ refers to the Ultra-Low
Emission Zones. These zones would be managed under the standards of ultra-low emissions
where vehicles would need to comply with the set standards for emissions or pay a daily charge
to go through these areas. The area that is considered within ULEZ comprises of a significant
area within the city of London. The implications of the same are very important points of
discussion.
1.2 Problem statement
Around the world, the decreasing rate of quality of air has become a major concern. In
major cities like London this issue increases more in significance. In order to control decreasing
air quality, the ULEZ regulations have been established. They are aimed towards the effective
control and positive improvement of air quality in and around some of the areas that have the
least air quality. However, the implementation of the regulations can also have far reaching
impact on the lifestyle of the people of London. The ULEZ has given rise to growing concern
among a number of private hire vehicles in the city. In the first place congestion charges that
were to be changed to the private hire vehicles (PHVs). However, these charge exemptions are
going to be removed to reduce the number of PHVs in the London region. This can bring down
congestion and pollution to a great extent but can be detrimental for the interests of the PHV
drivers. ULEZ discounts will only be provided to the vehicles that meet the standards of euro 5.
However, there are still many vehicles that do not meet these standards. The problem becomes

4IMPACT OF NEW AIR QUALITY REGULATION ON PRIVATE DRIVERS
important as there can be diverse impacts of the entire issue on the PHV drivers in London. The
various causes of the regulation and the impact it can have over the drivers need to be found. The
sustainability value that can be generated without completely limiting the interests of the drivers
is subsequently an important aspect to be understood.
1.3 Aim of the research
The principal aim of the study is to find the impact of the new ULEZ air quality
regulations on the drivers of private hire vehicles in London.
1.4 Research objectives
 To understand the issues that are faced due to degrading air quality
 To examine the manner in which new air pollution based regulation affected the interests
of the private car drivers
 To identify the relationship between ULEZ and its impact on the private car drivers in
London
 To suggest recommended activities that might be undertaken by the private car drivers in
London for adhering to ULEZ
1.5 Research questions
 What are the issues that are faced due to the degrading air quality and the context of the
regulation?
 How the new air pollution based regulation didaffected the interests of the private car
drivers?
 What is the relationship between ULEZ and the private car drivers in London?

5IMPACT OF NEW AIR QUALITY REGULATION ON PRIVATE DRIVERS
 What are the recommended activities that might be undertaken by the private car drivers
in London for adhering to ULEZ?
Literature Review
The past literatures have been helpful in determining the various factors that tend to
affect the drivers of private hire vehicles. The new air pollution based regulations have enhanced
the capability of the country for supporting the sustainable needs. The new ULEZ policies are
focused towards helping Londoners improve the quality of air and providing essential protection
to the health aspects of the public. The ULEZ has been effective in reducing the emission levels
in the specific areas where they have been implemented (Green, Heywood and Navarro Paniagua
2018).Moreover, there has been improvement in the green emissions in the vicinity of the city.
This has contributed towards the overall improvement in the environment of the area. The
agencies that are in charge of maintaining the pollution quality across the city have divided the
regions to be covered into various time zones. This was part of a sustainable conservation
mechanism that was focused towards creating a better city environment. The ULEZ was one of
the most important areas in terms of reduction of emissions in the particular areas of the city. The
ULEZ had to be implemented after it was seen that nearly 60% of the population that was
suffering from cancerous diseases in the area were actually affected by the degrading air quality
of the area (Blackston and Lebar 2015). This made necessary that the government agencies
actually started charging the private cars for higher amount of emissions produced by them. This
actually contributed towards improving the air quality by significantly reducing the degradations
of air.
The private hire car drivers are affected the most due to the implementation of the ULEZ.
This is mainly because the direct effect of the Ultra-low emission zone falls on them. The

6IMPACT OF NEW AIR QUALITY REGULATION ON PRIVATE DRIVERS
regulations were put into place mainly to lower the NO2 and CO emissions from the vehicles
that operated within the city of London (Wood et al. 2017). The vehicles that are currently in use
in the city of London make emission that is definitely above the maximum level of emissions
that is permissible for vehicles as per the ULEZ oriented regulations. One of the more obvious
issues that can affect the drivers are increased cost of operations of the vehicles. This would
eventually lead to lesser financial gains by the PHV drivers (Blythe 2018). This can potentially
risk their livelihood. The PHV businesses are definitely due to suffer initial losses or lower
profitability (Green, Heywood and Navarro Paniagua 2018). It has been found there can be risks
involved in case of hybrid cars in view of the ULEZ. It becomes much necessary that incentives
are implemented to support the PHVs that are hybrid petrol. According to Cruz and Montenon
(2016) freight vehicles can be greatly affected as ULEZ would limit the access of freight
vehicles to the various zones. However, similarly the access of the PHVs would also be limited
depending upon the model and emission levels of the vehicles. In this case the private car drivers
that will be the most affected would be the drivers that have older vehicles. Older vehicles tend
to make more emissions than the newer ones. It is important to note that the financial conditions
of the older PHV drivers are much less stable than the newer drivers.
Given this understanding of the situation the government has to implement ULEZ in
ways that can support the drivers of the older model cars. One of the important factors that can
be induced due to the implementation of the ULEZ is the growth in demand of electronic taxis.
These are electronic vehicles that run on electricity rather than conventional forms of fuel.
However, the major problem that affects the drivers in this case is their inability to bear the
initial costs that might be connected with the buying of these new electronic vehicles. If the
initial cost for buying electronic vehicles are considered, it becomes very difficult for the average

7IMPACT OF NEW AIR QUALITY REGULATION ON PRIVATE DRIVERS
PHV driver to afford these vehicles. Hence, given the situational factors that are influencing the
drivers in this case buying electronic vehicles are not favorable. Additionally, shifting to
electronic vehicles has not been considered as a feasible option in financial or operational terms.
Drivers might need to be effectively trained on driving these vehicles. Thus, a much better option
is to coordinate with the government to understand the needs of the PHV drivers. An important
factor is the provision of the cleaner vehicle discount. However, the charge exemptions are to be
removed to reduce the number of PHVs in the London region. This can bring down congestion
and pollution to a great extent but can be detrimental for the interests of the PHV drivers. ULEZ
discounts will only be provided to the vehicles that meet the standards of euro 5. There are still
many vehicles that do not meet these standards. The problem becomes important as there can be
diverse impacts of the entire issue on the PHV drivers in London (Russell-Jones2017). The
various causes of the regulation and the impact it can have over the drivers need to be found. The
sustainability value that can be generated without completely limiting the interests of the drivers
is subsequently an important aspect to be understood. In doing so the interest of the drivers
cannot be overlooked. London is one of the busiest cities in the world and an important
economic center for entire Europe. The importance of transportation is hence very large.
Transportation is connected with the value that is generated for the PHV drivers. The
PHV drivers can also have a better chance to successfully change to better modes of vehicular
usage. These modes can be more energy saving as well as cause lesser emissions. In essence
vehicles need to more effective in terms of performance concerning the regulations of ULEZ.
This can cause the drivers to be stronger in terms of the long term benefits that they can receive.
The discount that was provided initially to encourage the sustainability practices among the car
drives were later announced to be cancelled (Beevers et al. 2016). The discounts actually

8IMPACT OF NEW AIR QUALITY REGULATION ON PRIVATE DRIVERS
provided a good opportunity for improving the chances for the drivers to invest in newer
technologies that were more sustainable and effective to use. The adoption of new sustainable
technologies by the organization could contribute to the effective growth of cleaner and eco-
friendly city roads. At the same time it could be argued that the car discounts are not actually
provided for a longer period that can ensure the better opportunity of the private drivers to
perform better. Hence, the feasibility that was provided to the drivers initially through the
discounts is questionable due to the lesser duration for which the discounts are actually
implemented. The regulations were effective in the reduction of the rate of emissions. The
charges penalties and encouragement that were provided through the discounts were however,
able to reduce emissions effectively in the city. However, the main issue that arose among the
PHV drivers was that the discounts were not to be continued for longer periods of time.
Protecting public health was a significant issue but at the same time significant factors were
affecting the prospects of the PHV drivers of London.
The effect of the ULEZ regulations on the PHV drivers can be more effectively evaluated
through the relevant literatures that came out in the recent times in regards to the effect of ULEZ
on the drivers of London and other cities. It was found that for the passengers that were disabled,
ULEZ provided an effective advantage that consisted of paying lesser taxes till the year 2025. In
some regards the ULEZ regulations were found to be beneficial for the cab drivers. The tax
exemption facilities that were provided were beneficial for the drivers. In this case the cleaner
vehicle discount comes to the forefront yet again. This led to many of the drivers opting for
private vehicles rather than the cabs or public cars (Holman, Harrison and Querol 2015). The
same contributed to a significant increase of about 14,000 per day. The drivers were able to skip
the issues that were related to tax. However, it was reported that the charge differences were seen

9IMPACT OF NEW AIR QUALITY REGULATION ON PRIVATE DRIVERS
to be practices that were highly discriminatory among the driver of the minicabs. The ULEZ
regulations have resulted in the private cars making 13% more profits than the owners of the
minicabs and Uber. This discrepancy actually resulted in large scale protests among the cab
drivers as this was deemed to be significant bias from the part of the government. Hence, it can
be seen that a significant rift due to conflict of interests among the cab drivers and the private
hire vehicles was created. The impact of the same left significant impact on the tourism activities
in London. In essence the entire issue caused pressure of negotiation of the terms of the ULEZ
with the drivers of London on the government. The government of the country hence comes
under severe pressure to look into the matter more closely. Given the fact that London is one of
the largest metropolitan cities in the world, this is an important problem. Although it may seem
that the ULEZ had a positive impact on the PHV drivers as a result of all the benefits that were
initially offered, the licensing fees and the daily charges that the drivers had to incur as a result
of the ULEZ actually contributed towards mixed impact of the regulations on the drivers.
In this case it becomes important to know about the responses of the drivers in regards to
the impact of ULEZ on their professions. Most of the drivers are found to be unhappy about the
fact that the discount would no longer be available for the private hire vehicle drivers. However,
another important impact of the same can be that the customers would go back to the normal
taxis over the private hire vehicles. At the same time the drivers would have to bear 250 dollar a
month bill (Matters 2019). This can make the industry to take back their investment to the
normal black taxis to pay the large expense that they would incur. Hence, it becomes highly
likely that the congestion charges that would be further imposed on the London Vehicles by the
regulatory authority can backfire the entire mission for implementing the ULEZ (Tate et al.
2014). The unintended consequences can be that the PHVs increase their prices for the

10IMPACT OF NEW AIR QUALITY REGULATION ON PRIVATE DRIVERS
passengers. The higher fare that would be charged by the drivers can shift the passengers again
towards the more polluting black taxis. Hence, a direct connection can be established in this case
between the effects that the ULEZ is bound to have on the drivers and the combined effect the
entirety of the events can have on the prospects of cleaner air quality in London. In essence, the
shift towards the normal black cabs would cause the entire pollution control system to fluctuate.
In essence the system would fail and lead towards further jeopardizing the situation concerning
both the PHV drivers and the implementation of ULEZ. The ULEZ has given rise to speculations
concerning the future of private hire vehicles in the city. In the first place congestion charges that
were to be changed to the private hire vehicles (PHVs). However, these charge exemptions are
going to be removed to reduce the number of PHVs in the London region. This can bring down
congestion and pollution to a great extent but can be detrimental for the interests of the PHV
drivers. ULEZ discounts will only be provided to the vehicles that meet the standards of euro 5
(Kirby 2016).
London is definitely facing issues with the air quality of the city. Being a busy world
economic hub and having a large corporate area adds to the pressure of air quality that is
prevalent in the city. The AQI remains between 50-60, which is normally in moderate level but
slowly reaching towards even greater levels of Air pollution (Walton et al. 2015). In view of the
same it becomes important that the city does take important measures to ensure that the air
quality remains within the acceptable limits. In this regards most of the current literatures point
towards the greater cooperation between the PHV drivers and the administration of the city. The
most important factor is to come to mutually agreeable terms that can set the foundation for a
strong framework that can control the pollution rate without actually hurting the prospects of the
PHV drivers. Some of the important recommendations made are raining the overall charge to

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benefit the PHV drivers, installation of rapid electric chargers and limiting the taxi licenses of the
black taxis to 10 rather than 15 years.
Firstly, raising the charge of the overall by 1 pounds would help to raise a similar amount
for the proposal that can reduce the traffic by 1%. Secondly, a large network of electric chargers
should be installed across London to improve the prospects of electric cabs. This would
contribute towards a healthier and more effective development of framework for the
implementation of electric car transportation system (Bohnenstengel et al. 2015). There is a
current requirement of almost 2500 chargers for this purpose. Another important factor is the
limiting of black taxis by 10 years. This would create a sense of urgency to implement the
project. This creates an environment of effective development. It is important to consider that the
organizations that are present in the transportation areas of the city would need to participate
effectively in the process (Maciąg et al. 2019). The important factor is that the city
administration is acknowledging the need to address the issues of the PHV drivers across the
city. The drivers have to unitedly stand for ensuring that the implementation of the process of
reduction of emissions in the city occurs smoothly. This would ensure that there is enough room
to create a cleaner environment without harming the prospects of the PHV driver or the
transportation industry of the city. London is fast developing and can turn into one of the most
modern eco-friendly cosmopolitan cities in the world.
4. Methodology
4.1 Research Design, Research Approach and Research Type
4.1.1 Research Philosophy