Richmond council is offering to give residents affected by the upcoming Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) expansion £50 in Oyster card or Zipcar credit.
It claims to be the only council in London to be providing “Ulez support direct to residents” by discounting their use of public transport, bicycles or car sharing.
The ‘Good Move’ scheme will be offered to residents considering getting rid of, or replacing, their non-compliant cars when the Ulez expansion comes into effect across all London boroughs from August 29.
Around 200,000 more vehicles will be hit with the £12.50 daily charge when Ulez expands across Greater London, beyond the M25, reaching parts of the Home Counties.
Affected residents in the west London borough have three offers to choose from under the scheme, including a three-month free trial with the Pedal My Wheels’ Try Before You Bike project, plus a free discount if a bike is purchased after the trial.
Recipients can choose between a standard bike, electric bike, or electric cargo bike. Insurance, accessories, and home delivery are all included free of charge.
Residents can also chose to receive a £50 pay as you go Oyster card for public transport or a one-year free membership with Zipcar with £50 driving credit.
Councillor Alexander Ehmann, chair of Richmond’s Transport and Air Quality Committee, said the council supports the expansion of Ulez.
But he said “the speed at which the Mayor of London has sought to introduce the extension and the lack of financial support afforded to residents remains unacceptable”.
“Richmond Council has called upon the Mayor to improve his offer to residents, but so far he has not heeded this call. That is why we have made the decision to intervene and support residents through our own new ‘Good Move’ scheme.”
Mr Ehmann said the scheme offers “real support” to residents who are considering a “step-change” in their future vehicle choices.
He claimed that Richmond is the only council in London to provide Ulez support direct to their residents.
He added: “We hope that many residents will embrace the opportunity and make a ‘Good Move’.”
The scheme is open to Richmond Upon Thames residents only and is in addition to any support from Transport for London (TfL).
Residents will be able to choose one of the three available options until funds run out.
To be eligible, applicants must commit to scrapping their non Ulez compliant vehicle within 12 months. Applicants do not need to be eligible for TfL’s scrappage scheme.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan is planning to use traffic cameras that enforce the Ulez in London to help run a future “pay-as-you drive” scheme, according to reports.
In revolt, several councils surrounding the capital have refused to sign an agreement allowingTfL - of which Mr Khan is chairman - to install street signs and cameras warning drivers they are approaching the clean air zone.
Mr Khan said earlier this week that he has asked TfL chiefs to look into developing a scheme which would use more “sophisticated technology” to charge road users, according to the Telegraph.
