Over 160,000 sign petition to stop Sadiq Khan’s ULEZ expansion to North & South Circular roads
Updated: Oct 22, 2021
Over 160,000 people have now signed a petition to put a stop to the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan’s decision to expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone charge to North & South Circular roads.
The petition, which runs on Change.org, aims to reach 200,000 signatures, which would make it one of the top petitions on the platform.
The petition reads: “The extension of the London Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) to the North and South Circular Roads will price working Londoners off the roads.
“Extending the Ultra Low Emission Zone to the North & South Circular roads will mean anyone OUTSIDE the zone will have to pay: £12.50 for cars, vans and motorbikes; £100 for buses, coaches and HGVs, to drive in the zone, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year..OUTER LONDON IS RESIDENTIAL & should NOT be subject to the ULEZ.
“The ULEZ standards are:
Euro 3 for motorcycles, mopeds, motorised tricycles and quadricycles (L category)
Euro 4 for petrol cars, vans, minibuses and other specialist vehicles
Euro 6 for diesel cars, vans and minibuses and other specialist vehicles
Euro VI for lorries, buses and coaches and other specialist heavy vehicles
“So if you own a petrol car older than Jan 2005 (Euro 4 ) you will have to pay. If you own a motorcycle non Euro 3 compliant or first registered before July 2007 you will have to pay If you own a diesel car not Euro 6 compliant (registered before Sept 2014 ) you will have to pay.”
The petition goes on to claim that the decision to extend ULEZ is nothing other than “a stealth tax”, and has nothing to do with air pollution.
The petition concludes: “THIS IS JUST THE START ..Mayor Khan plans to extend the ULEZ zone still further up to the M25.”
Transport for London have said on the expansion: “Despite recent improvements in air quality, toxic air pollution in London remains the biggest environmental risk to the health of all Londoners. It harms our lungs, worsens chronic illnesses such as asthma, lung and heart disease, and puts the health of our children at risk.
“Air pollution is not just a central London problem, with many areas across the city still exceeding the legal limits for pollution. Pollution levels are now returning to pre-pandemic levels across the Capital.
“Traffic emissions are the biggest source of poor air quality. The world's first 24 hour Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) was implemented in central London in April 2019, and has seen the number of vehicles meeting the tough emission standards rise from 39% in February 2017 to more than 80%.
“It has also had a transformational impact on air pollution, contributing to a 44% reduction in roadside nitrogen dioxide within its boundaries. That's why The Mayor of London and TfL are helping to improve air quality across the Capital, by making our transport greener and expanding the Ultra Low Emission Zone.”
The capital’s transport authority say that any money received from the ULEZ will be reinvested into improving the transport network - including its cycleways, buses and Tube - and helping to improve London's air quality.
