Feb. 4, 2008 - London has banned high-polluting trucks in a bid to improve the city's air quality, believed to be the worst in Britain. Reuters reports that beginning today, large diesel trucks will be subject to heavy fines if they fail to meet stringent emissions standards imposed by the EU.

A network of cameras placed throughout the city will monitor the trucks to ensure compliance. The city plans to eventually expand the program to lighter commercial vehicles.

Currently, about 70 European cities have been designated "low emission zones," but London's program "will be the first in Britain and the largest in the world by a significant margin," says a spokeswoman from Transport for London.