Traffic and navigation app Waze will support smart routing at the launch of London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) on April 8.

The ULEZ integration is part of Transport for London’s long-term partnership with Waze’s Connected Citizens Program (CCP) designed to encourage healthier, cleaner, more efficient cities.

Waze users will be able to indicate in the app whether their vehicle is ULEZ compliant, so that they can be routed accordingly within the restricted area.

Drivers will receive alerts if their route goes through the ULEZ zone and can choose whether or not to travel that way.

It will help drivers to steer clear of unnecessary fines and ultimately reduce their carbon footprint by finding optimal routes to travel.

Finlay Clark, UK country manager for Waze, said: “Waze is being used as a part of the Mayor’s far-reaching work to protect London’s health from damaging air pollution.

“London is now the sixth most congested city in the world and by supporting ULEZ, we’re playing a big part in removing congestion which should ultimately help improve air quality.

“The ULEZ supported routing will not only help to decrease harmful emissions but also help drivers to avoid unnecessary fines and toll charges.

“Through Waze, transport authorities are reaching communities like never before - we can’t physically take cars off the roads, but the route to cleaner air could start with one notification at a time.”

Waze’s maps are kept up to date by a community of voluntary map editors, who have worked with TfL to ensure the new restrictions are in place on the Waze map.

When users then activate their ULEZ pass, TfL will be able to measure the restriction’s impact, based on how many people are rerouting via Waze.

ULEZ integration follows Waze’s support for Crit’Air in France, LEZ in Belgium and ZTL in Italy which help redistribute drivers across the road networks and avoid areas of high air pollution.

Unlike previous initiatives, ULEZ will run 24 hours a day and will cost £12.50 per day for cars and £100 per day for buses and lorries passing through the restricted zones.

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