Two weeks ago we talked about The Battle over ULEZ expansion in London since then things have progressed again.
In late July, London’s High Court dismissed appeals made by the five Conservative boroughs. In making his ruling, Mr Justice Swift said he was satisfied that expanding the scheme was within the mayor’s powers and that enough information was given for people to provide “informed responses” to the public consultation process. Sadiq Khan described the judgment as a “landmark decision” and said he would press ahead with the expansion on August 29th as planned.
The London mayor had come under intense political pressure from within his own party to rethink the enlargement and provide more support. On August 3rd, he announced that he would expand the established £2,000 ULEZ grant to all Londoners with non-compliant vehicles.
The decision was widely seen as a move to reduce the political fallout over the extension after the Tory by-election win in Uxbridge. The scheme will be available to any household with a non-compliant car or motorcycle, and is expected to cost £50m.
As of July 23rd, some 10,562 applications had been made to the scrappage scheme, with some £38.5m allocated to date. With the £50m addition to the scheme now being made, around £120m is still available.
Does the Ulez expansion effect you? Let us know in the comments.
So Glad I live up North were the Air is not polluted. You Overpaid Londerners need to pay for the damage your causing to the Environment. Keep up the good work Mr Khan.
Motoring is so so expensive forcing us to cut back on other things
No it doesn’t affect me but it does affect my spending patterns, I won’t go to any place that has a ULEZ in force, I won’t use the services of companies that are within those zones as they will pass that cost onto their customers, and if everyone did the same those areas would become an empty wasteland.
The mayor drives around on business in a minimum of two Range Rovers – arriving in style.
I used to love popping up to London… that is something I never do now, because I refuse to pay this unfair stealth tax !
Yes, it will affect me, and a person who is vulnerable that I visit as a carer in outer London. I live outside the ULEZ expansion, but need to travel, with various equipment, into outer London. I will not be eligible for any assistance to replace my non-compliant vehicle as I don’t live in ‘London’. I won’t be able to absorb the daily £12.50, which amounts to £62.50 a 5-day week, and I know the people I visit can’t. At the moment it seems I will have to stop caring inside the outer London area. That helps nobody.
The Mayor’s office continues to tell us how few vehicle are affected. (My vehicle is in good condition and passes the emissions test with ‘fast pass’ at every MOT.)
Other sources say the ULEZ expansion will have almost negligible effect on air quality. Because the calculation is: very few vehicles as the mayor says, times very little improvement when ‘upgrading’ to a complient vehicle, (you don’t get a new vehicle for £2000 even if I were eligible myself).
So, just a money making scam dressed up as a ‘health’ requirement, as Khan knows that is less assailable.
Shameful, and will as usual impact the most vulnerable.
In reality, this new ULEZ is too much too soon, and not democratically voted for by the populace that it is being forced upon.
The biggest concern is for those on low income, the retired, the disabled, and the small businesses as £2000 scrappage is a drop in the ocean as the real cost of a replacement vehicle is far in excess of that figure. This tremendous rush to bring this enhanced ULEZ into play is more to save the bankruptcy of TfL than about clean air, and on that point, why has Mr.Khan not pushed for the closure of the poluting London City Airport, or the change of flight plans of London Heathrow Airport planes away from Central London ? Could it be that those operators and the airlines; unlike the individual motorist; have the money to fight any such ideas.
Yes, it will affect me, and a person who is vulnerable that I visit as a carer in outer London. I live outside the ULEZ expansion, but need to travel, with various equipment, into outer London. I will not be eligible for any assistance to replace my non-compliant vehicle as I don’t live in ‘London’. I won’t be able to absorb the daily £12.50, which amounts to £62.50 a 5-day week, and I know the people I visit can’t. At the moment it seems I will have to stop caring inside the outer London area. That helps nobody.
The Mayor’s office continues to tell us how few vehicle are affected. (My vehicle is in good condition and passes the emissions test with ‘fast pass’ at every MOT.)
Other sources say the ULEZ expansion will have almost negligible effect on air quality. The calculation is simple as a x b = c:
a) very few vehicles affected (the mayor says)
times
b) very little improvement when ‘upgrading’ to a compliant vehicle. (you don’t get a new vehicle for £2000 even if I were eligible myself)
c) = very little effect on air quality.
So, just a money making scam dressed up as a ‘health’ requirement, as Khan knows that is less assailable.
Shameful, and will as usual impact the most vulnerable.