Do you support the new expansion of the ULEZ in London?
£12.50 daily charge introduced as Ulez expands to include whole of London
People who drive in the zone in a vehicle that does not meet minimum emissions standards are required to pay the daily fee or risk a £180 fine.
London has become the world’s largest pollution charging area after the ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) was expanded to include the whole of the capital.
People who drive in the zone in a vehicle that does not meet minimum emissions standards are now required to pay a £12.50 daily fee or risk a £180 fine, reduced to £90 if paid within 14 days.
London mayor Sadiq Khan has faced strong opposition to the scheme, although a £160 million scheme run by Transport for London (TfL) enables residents, small businesses, sole traders and charities scrapping non-compliant cars to claim grants.
There have been regular protests against the plan and anti-Ulez vigilantes have repeatedly targeted enforcement cameras installed in the new areas in recent months.
Videos have been posted online showing people described as Blade Runners cutting the cameras’ wires or completely removing the devices.
The Metropolitan Police said it had recorded 288 crimes relating to the cameras as of August 1.
Ulez expansion has become a political issue, being blamed for Labour’s failure to win last month’s Uxbridge and South Ruislip parliamentary by-election.
In an interview with the PA news agency, the Labour mayor said: “The vast majority of Londoners want to see clean air and I recognise there are some Londoners with genuine concerns.
“My job is to try and address those concerns and I have been doing that.”
People take part in a protest against the proposed ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) expansion in Tooting, London
Mr Khan said he was “disappointed” at the lack of Government support for the policy and its accompanying scrappage scheme.
He expressed frustration that the scrappage programme has no Government funding, unlike those run in several other English cities.
He said: “It was this Government that gave financial support to cities like Bristol, Birmingham and Portsmouth towards their clean air zones.
“If clean air is right for them then why isn’t clean air right for London?”
What are your views? Does this change impact your day-to-day life?
