Enraged Londoners have called on Sadiq Khan to “resign”, as his highly controversial ‘Ultra Low Emissions Zone’ (ULEZ) is set to be extended across every borough in the city from August 29.
Express.co.uk travelled to South Woodford, north-east London, to ask residents what they made of the expansion of ULEZ. Currently drivers in the zone have to pay £12.50 if their vehicle is not compliant with the scheme.
South Woodford, home of British icon Adam Woodyatt who plays Ian Beale in EastEnders, is already inside the original ULEZ area. However now drivers will see the zone extend into the home counties, making it far more difficult to swerve.
One incensed local, Lloyd Hastings, told this website that ULEZ forced him to ditch his vehicle.
He explained: “They should get rid of it. I had to sell my car. It cost me a lot of money because of that t***.
“It’s a way of collecting taxes, that’s what it’s designed for – purely.
Asked whether, in general, he supported Sadiq Khan, Lloyd was unequivocal: “He should resign. I’m not a violent man but I wish I could punch him in his little face.”
A mother, who did not want to be named, regularly travels into the low emissions zone from nearby Loughton in Essex and said the extension of the area to include more rural commuter towns is a money-making exercise rather than an environmental initiative.
As she waited for her son to pick her up, she said: “I think it’s a big scam. I think it’s a money-making ploy from Khan to just get more money out of people. I don’t think the air is bad.”
She added that due to ULEZ, despite not living in the zone, she was forced to sell her recently purchased car.
She said: “I had to change my car. It was a ’15 plate, so it was not because it was old, it was because it was diesel. I go to Wanstead a lot. I think the whole thing is an absolute disgrace.”
The mum was scathing about Mr Khan’s tenure in City Hall so far: “He’s a nasty man. I just think he doesn’t care, I don’t think he ever cared.”
Another disgruntled local, Helena Mittleman, who has also ditched her car due to exorbitant ULEZ costs, doesn’t believe the policy is well designed: “I think it’s very unfair on drivers with older cars who can’t afford it. I think that the £2000 grant is ridiculous because it goes nowhere towards buying a new car.
“I’ve given up my car and driving. It’s just penalising motorists really. I don’t think it’s very well thought out.”
She added: “If they want to give people a grant I think they should give them at least £5000. Then people would be more receptive to having to change their car.”
Mr Khan, after unveiling the controversial ULEZ initiative, announced that drivers with vehicles that are not environmentally compliant can receive a grant of £2,000 to scrap them.
However motorists have bemoaned the fact that in order to qualify for the grant, the vehicle must have a valid MOT, meaning some are having to pay hundreds of pounds to earn the payout.
Justifying the expansion, Transport for London has said: “To help clear London’s air and improve health, the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) is expanding across all London boroughs from 29 August 2023.
“Poor air quality is impacting the health of Londoners, and it’s mainly caused by polluting vehicles. The latest data from the London Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (LAEI, 2019) shows that, although improvements are being made, road transport is the single biggest contributor of nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter emissions in Greater London.
“Londoners are developing life-changing illnesses such as cancer, asthma and lung disease, and there is a higher risk of dementia in older people. Air pollution even contributes to the premature death of thousands of Londoners every year. It’s not just a central London problem. In fact, the greatest number of deaths related to air pollution occur in outer London areas. That’s why the ULEZ is expanding across all London boroughs.”
