London mayor candidate Susan Hall told a debate this evening she would absolutely get rid of ULEZ expansion because it was a “tax on the poorest”.
During the BBC debate hosted by Eddie Nestor Ms Hall appeared alongside Sadiq Khan from the Labour Party, Rob Blackie from the Liberal Democrats and Zoë Garbett from the Green Party.
With an invited public audience, the debate moved on from policing to housing and finally to cover the controversial ULEZ scheme. The ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ) was expanded in August to cover the whole of London and charges motorists with vehicles that don’t meet emission levels £12.50 a day.
Ms Hall told the audience: “I will absolutely get rid of it on day one, there is no question. I’ve spent a year listening to Londoners and when you listen to Londoners who cannot afford to replace their car, so they have to use their car.
“They have to then pay Sadiq Khan £12.50 a day, they cannot afford it.”
As AM Ms Hall made her comments, the camera panned to Mr Khan who appeared to smile and turn his head to the side.
Ms Hall continued: “Sometimes they have to take parents to hospital appointments, thye have to get to work, it is a real situation.”
Mr Nestor asked the audience, “why is Ulez still a thing?” One audience member said he understood why ULEZ was brought in to reduce pollution in the capital but said “the wrong people were penalised” when it should have been the “car manufacturers”.
Another audience member added he agreed, saying he came to London four times a week and that public transport was “not reliable” and there were “strikes”.
He said: “if you’re not eligible for scrappage scheme you have to pay £12.50 to drive your car.
“London has to be a global city, how do we compete with the likes of New York, Dubai, Singapore when we can’t get people in and out?”
When Mr Nestor asked the audience if they would get rid of ULEZ several people raised their hands, including a cab driver who had spoken earlier.
Making her point Ms Hall said again “ULEZ expansion will go on day one but it is nothing but a tax on the poorest”, continuing her point she said “it is a tax and it is a tax on the poorest Londoners”.
When confronted by Mr Nestor with a quote from Mr Khan’s book that said he would be interested in charging pay-per-mile, the current London Mayor said he city didn’t need it now.
He added: “Because we’ve expanded ULEZ to cover all of London and we’ve seen roadside emissions across London down by 50 percent.”
