NHS forced to spend almost £65m to make hundreds of ambulances compliant with ... trends now

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The NHS has been forced to spend nearly £65 million to make hundreds of ambulances compliant with London Mayor Sadiq Khan's Ulez scheme.

Under Ulez, drivers must pay £12.50 a day to drive in the capital if their vehicle fails to meet emissions standards.

It was expanded to cover the whole of Greater London in August.

Freedom of Information requests sent to NHS ambulance services in the South of England reveal the agreements made with Transport for London that exempt them from the expanded Ulez for a short period while their fleet is made compliant.

Each vehicle costs £140,000 to replace. The South East Coast Ambulance Service has until October 2025 to replace 279 vehicles. 

The London Ambulance Service said 27 per cent of its frontline fleet is not compliant, so 255 vehicles need replacing.