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London To Be Free Of Cars And Vans By 2050
Rishi Sunak has watered down the government’s green agenda, yet Brits believe London will be the first car and van-free city in the world, according...
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Motorists Slammed By 25 Oct 18-Fold London ULEZ Expansion
As many as 135,000 car and van drivers are to be hit by the £12.50 charge when the Ultra-Low Emission Zone expands on 25 October.
The 135,000 figure is a conservative estimate by Transport for London (TfL) which is under Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan's Labour control.
The ULEZ will now affect every road within the boundaries drawn by the North and South Circular roads - at least 4 million people live in the zone.
To check if your vehicle meets the standards to avoid the ULEZ fee - Click Here
Callous Khan
Khan has casually said that the expansion is expected to most affect motorists who can’t afford to replace their non-compliant cars - ignoring the fact that all motorist, especially those who operate their vehicles for business simply don't have the post-pandemic funds to go out and upgrade their fleet or indeed splash out a minimum £12.50 a day.
Help running out
Khan launched a £60 million vehicle scrappage scheme in 2019 offering £1,000 for motorbikes and £2,000 for cars to help those who needed to scrap and replace theirs with a greener alternative that would comply with emission standards.
However, there are only enough funds left to support around 1,500 of London’s most in-need motorists, the Mail Online’s This is Money has unearthed - and the scheme is only available to drivers who receive particular types of benefits.
Expansion explained
ULEZ has until now, covered the same area as the congestion charge (with motorists with older vehicles having to pay both). It is only ULEZ at this time that is expanding about eighteen-fold. The North and South Circular roads sit outside the zone.
Fines
Drivers of older polluting petrol and diesel vehicles will have to pay the charge each day they drive into the zone, which will be enforced by automatic number plate recognition cameras across the city’s road network. For non-compliant vehicles, failure to pay the charge will result in fines of up to £160.
No stopping
In a recent letter, GLA Conservatives transport spokesman Keith Prince AM called on the Mayor to delay the ULEZ expansion until next year to allow Londoners time to recover from the pandemic and prepare for the driving tax.
Paul Cowperthwaite, TfL’s general manager of road user charging, told This is Money: “Bold action is required to tackle London’s toxic air quality crisis which contributes to thousands of deaths each year and is linked to heart disease, dementia and the stunted development of children’s lungs. That is why we are expanding the ULEZ to 18 times its current size."
Compliance
Only diesel cars that meet Euro 6 standards (typically made post-2016) and petrol cars at Euro 4 standards (typically post-2006) are compliant with the ULEZ rules and therefore exempt from the charge. Vans and minibuses also must be compliant, and riders of pre-2007 motorbikes may find they need to trade them in for a newer model.
Picture: London's Ultra-Low Emission Zone expands on 25 October.
Article written by Cathryn Ellis
20th October 2021