Sadiq Khan, under pressure from his side, expanded the Ulez disposal scheme
Several Work MPs and borough leaders have said in recent days that the existing £110m recycling scheme is not covering enough people whose vehicles will be required to pay the £12.50 daily charge. once the zone expands to cover the whole Greater London August 29.
In a letter to v Mayor Posted on Tuesday 30 May, Grace Williams – Labor leader of Waltham Forest Council, said the scheme needed to be expanded “to provide further support to further support parents and carers, many of whom are in essential jobs”.
She added that more small businesses should be eligible for the scheme and that the grace period for drivers who have booked to upgrade their cars by a certain date should be reviewed.
The letter is the latest in a series of speeches over the past few days from Labor politicians across the capital, including four MPs and the city’s mayor. Hackney.
The existing recycling scheme is open to Londoners on certain low incomes or disabilities with cars, motorbikes and wheelchair-accessible vehicles that do not meet the Ulez emissions standard, as well as sole traders, micro-businesses or charities with a registered address in London, scrap or convert a van or van.
Currently, eligible claimants can receive up to £2,000 for scrapping a car or up to £1,000 for scrapping a motorbike. Wheelchair accessible vehicles require a fee of £5,000 to scrap or upgrade to Ulez standard. Those looking to trade in a van or van can get between £5,000 and £9,500.
The mayor said around £20 million of the £110 million had been allocated so far.
Writing to the mayor on Sunday, Brent North MP Barry Gardiner asked Mr Khan to “consider revising the recycling scheme to make it even easier for the minority of families and small businesses whose cars are affected to switch to a cleaner, newer car”.
Mr Gardiner, a former minister in Tony Blair’s government, added: “They want to do the right thing; but they need a little more help.”
Labor MPs Ellie Reeves (Lewisham West and Penge), Rosena Allin-Khan (Tooting) and Abena Oppong-Assar (Erit and Thamesmead) wrote to the mayor making the same request on Friday, with Hackney mayor Philip Glanville following up on Saturday.
All said they supported the principle of extending Ulez, but had concerns about the limitations of the current eligibility criteria for the scheme – particularly in light of the cost of living crisis.
In a video released on Friday, Peter Fortune is a Conservative London MP Bexley and Bromley – made the same plea to Mr Khan, saying: “Too many people are getting ‘the computer says no’ when they apply and we need to do something to help these people…
“Of course, I believe that the best way is to help them to stop the expansion of Ulez. But at least we should be able to agree that more people deserve help from the disposal scheme than is currently available. The criteria should be relaxed.”
A spokeswoman for Mr Khan replied: “The Mayor is doing all he can to support Londoners in the face of the cost of living crisis, but as the lives and health of children are at risk from London’s toxic air, he is clear that expanding the Clean Air Zone was a difficult but necessary decision.
“The latest figures from Transport for London show that 90 per cent of cars driving around London already meet Ulez standards, and the Mayor expects the number of compliant vehicles to increase further in the coming months.”
She added: “The scheme is under constant review to ensure its effectiveness and the mayor is considering what further support can be provided.
“He also continues to call on the Government to support the transition to cleaner vehicles by funding a targeted national recycling scheme or providing additional funding to London, as has been done in other cities across the country.”
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/sadiq-khan-ulez-pressure-scrappage-scheme-labour-councils-mps-eligibility-b1084520.html