Londoner? ULEZ expansion - wrong time?

[GrubzUp]

I like Sadiq Khan, in general I applaud green initiatives.

However it's been announced today that the original inner London low emission zone is to be expanded into outer London - meaning that if you have an older, more polluting vehicle it will cost you £12.50 every time you drive it anywhere in London (inside the M25 I think).

I live in outer London. There are a LOT of older, non ULEZ compliant vehicles on the road round here. At the moment, people don't need to be compliant for local trips, because unless they're heading inside the North / South Circular Rd, they are fine in their older cars.

I look out in the street and see my neighbours' cars: the people who tend to drive older vehicles are the young, the old, the disabled and the poor.

AIBU to say that hitting them with a big new tax for driving anywhere in the middle of a cost of living crisis is the WRONG time? If they can't afford a newer model they certainly can't afford to pay £12 every time they take it off the drive. I feel bad for these people. How are they going to afford it?

Note that public transport here is not what it is in inner London, you can't just "jump on the tube".

I think it's disgusting that people die every year due to car pollution, not to mention traffic accidents. Lots of car journeys in London are totally unnecessary. I think this initiative is a good one.

This. Also on the edge, and traffic on our road in Lewisham has increased hugely since the ULEZ as every bugger skirts it by going past the front of my house.

Four buses an hour sounds brilliant! We live in a huge town and don't get that.

But I still think its going to hit too many people hard so it needs to be delayed. This should have been a five or ten year plan. I keep cars for approx ten years. (FWIW, I walk most places but own a car outside of London).

I’m glad it’s being extended - it’s been coming for ages and we need to do something about air quality. I think it should apply to the black cabs and buses too - tfl needs to get their own house in order too.

I also think it's going to hit those who can least afford it so absolutely the wrong time to be introducing such a thing. And 10 months isn't enough notice.

Surely non-compliant cars are now going to be worthless so it's not as if people will be able to sell one and use the money to buy a compliant car?

The black cabs in London have to be euro 6 or electric and have been for quite a while.

All the buses too are where I live are euro 6 and a few electric ones are filtering in. I suppose the ones that don’t cross the north circular don’t have to be ulez

Part of me is pleased it’s happening, I remember in Angel Islington in the late 80s when the 19,38 and the 76 route masters pulled away, you couldn’t see anyone/anything because the air was filled with the diesel fumes. It was the norm for a rusty old car to be blowing out blue or black exhaust fumes a decade or so ago, now it’s not.

We (the U.K.) has stringent MOT regulations to get thru, emissions are hard to get thru if your car oil isn’t regularly changed. The days of old wrecks have gone, so did he (the mayor) really need to do it?

in ten years, I believe when the battery needs replacing, we will buy a new car, just like mobile phones are now

Climate change and pollution won't hold off because we think it's the wrong time.

There's always an excuse for why we shouldn't bring these policies in but that's all they are, excuses.

Anti pollution measures cost and there is never a convenient time for them. We need these measures. People will just have to find ways to manage.

Totally agree! It should be stopped it’s a money spinner 100%

I hear you about the cost of living, but people are dying from avoidable air pollution now. And getting dementia, cancer, obesity. Children are growing up with stunted lungs.

We can’t put it off any longer. There will be a scrappage scheme for the less well-off.

I think it’s the right decision at the right time.

This is exactly why my husband and I didn't vote for Sadiq Khan in 2021.
We replaced one car last September and now we have to replace another car (annoyingly with low mileage). I appreciate we need to improve air quality but now is not the time in the midst of a cost of living crisis. Where does he think people will get the money from?
There was a consultation where I think 4 times as many people were against vs for the change and SK has just ignored it. What was the point? A complete waste of time and money.

The non-compliant cars will be saleable outside of London. Though really they should be scrapped, as other people deserve to breathe clean air too.

I hear you about the cost of living, but people are dying from avoidable air pollution now. And getting dementia, cancer, obesity. Children are growing up with stunted lungs

Do you think extending the ULEZ will reduce obesity, cancer & dementia?

This hasn't been sprung on anyone. It's always been a part of the plan. And people's health can't wait.

The non-compliant cars will be saleable outside of London. Though really they should be scrapped, as other people deserve to breathe clean air too.

And who should bear the cost of scrapping them?

We both bought cars in 2016 from Cargiant when there were about 5000 in stock. I looked today and there's only 1427 available (27 are electric and 114 are hybrid).

There's a shortage of new and compliant second hand cars, hence the increase in value.

Thanks to those that put links on the thread so I could check my car. Fortunately, it’s compliant.

I think the scrappage scheme belongs to the mayor, so it'll be London local taxpayers (via the precept)

The pollution in London is terrible and causing many thousands of unnecessary deaths each year. I support any initiative to reduce this.

It's a tax by stealth though isn't it? Dressed up as being environmentally sound.

Nearly all petrol vehicles made since 2006 are compliant

Diesel since 2016.

Some models made before those years are also compliant

There are far too many cars in London and far too much pollution. I agree with giving some warning but it i think is a good idea in general.

Damned ineffective one, if that's the case.

It's a successful policy - in that the number of non-compliant vehicles is way lower than expected.

And it's expected the same will happen with each expansion

I agree, London has a good transport infrastructure and there are supporting schemes. Air pollution is a scourge that takes away healthy life years. This scheme has been talked about for ages.

It's mad to me that other cities haven't embraced congestion charging. Ken Livingstone was a very flawed leader but he had a lot of vision.