(qlmbusinessnews.com Wed, 6th Dec, 2023) London, UK —
Backlash Against ULEZ Expansion Intensifies: Major Boost for Plan to Overturn
A dramatic effort to overturn London's Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) scheme has gained significant momentum, receiving major backing just days before it faces parliamentary scrutiny.
Conservative MP for Dartford, Gareth Johnson, is set to present The Greater London Low Emission Zone Charging (Amendment) Bill to the House of Commons on December 6, aiming to eliminate the ULEZ charge.
The new Bill provides Parliament with an opportunity to reverse the expansion, with Johnson arguing that London Mayor Sadiq Khan lacks a “mandate” for the scheme.
Joining the cause, FairFuelUK, a prominent campaign group in the industry, has thrown its support behind the project as it gains traction.
Howard Cox, founder of FairFuelUK and London Mayoral Candidate for Reform UK, criticized ULEZ for “fleecing drivers” and negatively impacting “low-income motorists.”
Cox stated, “I am fully in support of Dartford MP Gareth Johnson's parliamentary attempt to scrap London's pure cash-grabbing ULEZ extension. Mayor Khan's fixation with an alleged air quality improvement scheme that not only needlessly fleeces drivers, sole traders, and low-income motorists, it also rips at least half a £billion out of the Capital's economy every year.”
He added, “We must support a new Mayor that will scrap ALL of ULEZ for good, and get London moving again.”
The ULEZ charge, initially confined to Central London, was extended to Outer London boroughs in August, imposing a £12.50 per day fee on motorists with older, polluting cars.
However, the expansion faced widespread backlash, marked by protests against the new costs. Johnson argued that the ULEZ charge disproportionately “punished those on lower incomes” and affected individuals residing outside the London radius.
“My Bill gives Parliament the opportunity to overturn this expansion. The London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, has no mandate for this,” Johnson asserted. “It impacts people in Kent and other counties around London who cannot vote the London Mayor in or out. It is taxation without accountability and punishes those on lower incomes who can least afford to buy a newer car to avoid the daily charge.”
He continued, “There are also no guarantees the standard for meeting the ULEZ threshold will not be changed in the future to include more vehicles. My proposed Bill is to overturn the ULEZ expansion and ensure the London Mayor cannot impose this unfair tax on the people of Dartford and beyond.”
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