To think living in Romford (East London) with ULEZ

[Genesys]

I've had an opportunity for a mutual exchange to upsize for an extra bedroom and dining room.

I live in Cheshire,

Family are in Bedfordshire so we want to be closer, I've found a lady who is interested in ours but she lives in Romford.

The house is perfect for us, but I'm not used to not using a vehicle.

I have 2 children aged 5 and 6 months old.

According to the ULEZ website our car would be £17.50 per day, is it worth selling the car and using public transport? Am I being realistic thinking I would be able to manage? (I know this is normal for people of course! But I've been driving since I was 18!)

I'm not sure what to do I'm in 2 minds!

Has anybody moved semi rural to London with children?

Thanks all!

Romford has very good bus links .
They still have London bus routes so you can connect easily to central London. The Elizabeth lines runs through Romford station which is very handy !

I do still own a car though - there are lovely places to visit with the kids , inner Essex and so it would be a great advantage if you drove .

I think it depends how near you are to a Lizzie line station and bus routes. I live nearby and it's really easy as we are in a good bus route😁

Have you been to Romford?
Do you like the area and the schools?
How close is the house to the schools shops etc.
There is lots of public transport but could you sell your car and buy a different one?
I think you need to visit the area first.

Why not change your car? My car's ULEZ compliant, but it's 22 years old (petrol) so hardly worth anything.

I was a bit gobsmacked to find it meets ULEZ standards, tbh, but it shows how forward thinking Audi were back then.

Have you checked your actual car is not Ukez compliant? Many cars are actually fine.

Would you be able to use scrappage scheme to get a ULEZ compliant car? They can be as cheap as 1k.

What do you currently drive?

Buses have buggy space, Elizabeth line plenty of space, shopping delivery is done by several supermarkets in London.

So you could probably be without a car for a while until you get one that is ULEZ compliant.

I used to live near Romford. No car. Buses and train links are excellent. Loads of stuff walkable too. Depends a bit on which part of Romford whether I’d take it or not. And you could always trade in your car too!

It is more than doable without a car, but many cars are ULEZ compliant anyway so you could get rid of non compliant car, see how you go with no car ownership and rethink down the line.

Cargo bikes carry children

Where abouts in Romford? I grew up there and still visit, and occasionally work there. I used to love it, but its gone very much downhill over recent years, especially in and around the town centre.

That said tho, public transport links are very good and you can get around and in and out of london easy enough. Definitely look at whether your car is ULEZ compliant or if you could get a second hand one if not. For me, a car is an essential as I work unsociable hours and I hate using/relying on public transport.

Ulez is £12.50 a day only paid on days you drive so you could keep the car and drive rarely until you decide if you need a car.