Mayor of London Sadiq Khan with an air quality monitoring station sign (Dominic Lipinski/PA)
(Picture: PA Archive)Sadiq Khan has promised not to “move the goalposts” and make the Ulez emission rules tougher after it expands to the Greater London boundary.
Council chiefs fighting the expansion of the ultra low emission zone, such as the Tory leader of Harrow council, Paul Osborn, suspect the rules could be changed catch more drivers.
This is because the income generated by the Ulez to be expected to fall to “negligible” levels by 2027 as drivers upgrade their cars to avoid having to pay the daily levy.
But the mayor, who is spending £160m on the expansion and £110m on a scrappage scheme, said on Friday: “We will not be moving the goalposts in relation to making it more stringent.”
Petrol vehicles with a “Euro 4” engine – all cars built since 2006 - and diesels with a “Euro 6” engine, which came in from 2014, are exempt from paying the £12.50 levy.
Mr Khan said he appreciated that some motorists had concerns, in the wake of Government advice to switch to diesel vehicles in the 1990s – only for diesels to be discouraged 20 years later.
“The [Ulez] policies we have announced will be the requirements in relation to cleaner vehicles,” he said.
“Basically, if it’s petrol more recent than 2005, and diesel more recent than 2015 [it will be exempt].
“But if in doubt, go to the TfL website and type in your number plate and it will tell you whether it is compliant or not.”
TfL revealed on Friday that there had been a 60 per cent drop in the number of “non-compliant” vehicles in inner London in the year following the expansion of the Ulez zone from central London to the inner boundary of the North and South Circular roads.
The mayor has faced a backlash from a number of outer London boroughs, who want him to ditch the second expansion or to delay its introduction due to the cost of living crisis.
During his monthly Speak with Sadiq session on LBC radio, Mr Khan told listeners: “If it was the case it wasn’t working, I wouldn’t proceed with the expansion. But it is working.
“I appreciate there is a vocal minority that are very angry. But I was elected by a silent majority to speak up for them.”
