A desperate granddad claims he won't be able to visit his seriously ill granddaughter due to "ludicrous" plans to extend London's Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ).
Former bus driver Iain Buers says every time he sees six-year-old Charlotte, who has heart problems, he has a "horrible feeling" it'll be the last.
The planned extension of the ULEZ border comes into force in August.
The scheme sees motorists using vehicles deemed to be the most polluting to pay a daily fee to drive in London.
Iain, 55, lives near Sudbury, in Suffolk, with little Charlotte being treated at Evelina Children's Hospital, next to Westminster Bridge.
The granddad was medically retired from his job around 16 years ago due to reduced lung function, fibromyalgia, sciatica and arthritis.
He said he also feels isolated from his elderly 86-year-old mum and dad, 87, who live in Hornchurch, and Charlotte’s mum, his daughter Harley, 28, in Dagenham, both in East London.
Under the new rules, Iain says he would incur a daily £15 charge to drive his 2002 petrol Volvo V70 automatic over the border into the capital.
This would ‘nearly double’ his current £20 to £25 fuel cost to visit his relatives.
Generally, pre-2005 petrol cars and pre-September 2015 diesel vehicles are non-compliant under ULEZ regulations.
Mr Buers’s income is around £550 per month - comprising £330 in personal independence payment (PIP) every four weeks and £200 employment and support allowance (ESA) every fortnight.
His partner Pam, 52, works part-time as a care worker, and the couple has to pay full rent and full council tax.
Asked to describe his daily life, Iain told MyLondon: “I can’t even walk to a bus stop. Without the car, I’m housebound. It’s just battling constant pain, anxiety and depression - it’s a struggle.
"My mind wants to do things but my body says no. It’s very hard to motivate myself because I know whatever I do is going to hurt me.
"I’ve got a couple of good friends but the last time they took me out was just before Christmas, and on Saturday my partner took me down to see my mum. We also went to see my daughter briefly. I don't know when I'll be down next.”
On the planned ULEZ expansion, Iain added: “It’s just another tax on the poor who can’t afford it. It’s ridiculous, those who can afford new cars can afford it - it’s crazy. When I went online and checked, it’s actually £15 a day for me, not the lowest.
"It’s just ludicrous. My partner’s got a small car, but I struggle to go anywhere in it. I’m a big bloke with back and knee problems, I need a bigger car to be reasonably comfortable.
“It seems so unfair. It costs me between £20 and £25 to go to mum’s and back, and with another £15 to drive in the zone, that’s nearly doubling my cost almost.
"I'm getting penalised because I can't afford a new car. It's crazy.
"Charlotte is living on borrowed time, I didn't think she’d last this long to be honest, but she’s fighting it well. We had a phone call this Christmas telling us she might not be coming out.
“Every time I come away from visiting her I’m in tears because every time could be the last. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy - it’s a horrible feeling.”
A spokesperson for TfL noted that Mayor Sadiq Khan has “extended the grace period for disabled people on the standard mobility rate until 25 October, including for people who live outside of the capital”.
Christina Calderato, TfL’s Director of Strategy and Policy said: “Thousands of Londoners die prematurely each year as a result of toxic pollution and it causes children to grow up with stunted lungs and increases the risk of dementia in older people.
“The London-wide ULEZ is vital in tackling the triple threats of air pollution, the climate emergency and congestion, and will ensure millions more people can breathe cleaner air.
"Those outside the London boundary will also benefit, with drivers outside of the capital shifting to cleaner vehicles that meet the standards.
“In order to support small businesses, sole traders, charities, Londoners on lower incomes and disabled Londoners in replacing their older, more polluting vehicles with greener options, the Mayor has launched London’s biggest ever scrappage scheme worth £110m.
"Unlike other UK cities, the capital has not received a penny towards scrappage from the government.
"That is why the Mayor has written to the Prime Minister to ask for further funding to match what has already been allocated to help support people who drive into London from the home counties with the most polluting vehicles.”
